


Tipping the Scales

by HellYeahLibra



Series: The Multiverse Situation [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anime-ish plot, Anime-ish protag, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Comedy, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gender-Neutral Frisk, I'll add more tags as i go, Light Angst, Lots of OCs - Freeform, M/M, Magic-Users, Maybe - Freeform, Pacifist Frisk, Post-Pacifist Route, Science Fiction, Secret Organizations, Selectively Mute Frisk, Skeleton Puns, frisk can speak, maybe change the ratings if i'll add smut?, mostly an OC story, the author is literal weeaboo trash, things i don't like explaining cuz science, universe stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:58:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 61,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellYeahLibra/pseuds/HellYeahLibra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The Ebott region has been experiencing heavy fluxes of power ever since the Monsters resurfaced from beneath the Mountain. It may be due to the Monsters’ biological makeup, but STARS believes it may be another source at work. If this power remains unchecked, catastrophe might ensue. So they send someone from the Zodiacs to check, and possibly eliminate, whatever source that is.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Who better to check the balance than The Scales?</i><br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hellos and Goodbyes

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh, hey. This is the first chapter of my... long series(?) called, "The Multiverse Situation". Um... Libra here is **_not_** me, in case anyone is wondering. We just have the same code name/alias.
> 
> The first two to three chapters are mostly world-building and term establishment, along with plot progression, of course. But I didn't put any monster interactions until at least the third chapter.
> 
> Well, without any further ado, please do read on!

The elevator bell dings as it stops on the desired floor, metal doors parting to reveal a long, narrow hall. The dark blue carpeting and black marble stone walls with swirling patterns make up an obvious setting, especially looking at the many pinpricks of light illuminating the otherwise dark room. Space becomes almost a mandatory theme for anyone working at STARS, but not everyone follows the flashy styling of the job.

Just like the young man walking out of the elevator, wearing nothing that resembles his employment in this multibillion-dollar research facility. Rectangular, dark-rimmed glasses sit heavily on his face as it falls just above his nose, light brown eyes scanning the design on the room with a soft smile. He brushes his bangs to the right, raven hair falling just beside his ears before tucking both his hands behind his back. He leans forward slightly as he continues along the hallway, swaying slowly to a beat in his head.

When he reaches the end, he finds a sealed, arched door which leads to the only room on this floor. Clusters and clouds of stars, planets, and galaxies heavily decorate the black door, the center a black hole surrounded by light. The young man brings his hand up, fanning it across the center and letting it stay there for a moment. The black hole dims slightly, and it makes a sound akin to humming. Then it changes to a more intense color; bright caramel brown. He brings his hand down and lets the light surround him, humming in satisfaction at the choice of color. Now that he’s hungry, he reminds himself to get some food on the way out.

 _“Voice Recognition System activated,_ ” A mechanical voice echoes throughout the hall. “ _Vocal authentication and password required to proceed. Speak._ ”

“- _Tip the Scales in your favor, and find harmony in the swing-_ ,” the young man says, his voice warm and smooth, almost childlike. The receptor seems to recognize his voice as the light flashes briefly before resuming its constant glow.

“ ** _Zodiac Libra_** _recognized,_ ” the voice affirms. “ _Welcome to the Center, Libra. The Director is waiting for you._ ”

“Thank you!” he exclaims, though he already knows it won’t respond. The light dies as the door opens, giving Libra the all too familiar view of the Director’s Room.

The room is small, black curtains cover either side of the walls, blanketing it in darkness. Compared to other major offices, this place only has a small, square table and a swivel chair, but that’s because it only needs to accommodate one thing. The large, wall-fitting, flat-screen monitor at the opposite side of the room stays static for a moment, fuzzy signals blinking and flashing every now and then. Libra bridges his fingers together, silently giggling at the sleeves of his dark brown jacket that also act like gloves, covering his knuckles and securing his thumbs with separate holes. He’s never getting tire of jackets like these, he should ask to get more.

He hears a high-pitched glitch on the screen, and he sits down on the swivel chair, adjusting its height and setting his elbows on the table to prop his head with the palms of his hands. He waits for another moment, and screen glitches once more. The screen now displays a view of the Milky Way, the flowing pattern ever so beautiful in Libra’s eyes. Another moment passes, and the white figure fading into display has Libra smiling in delight.

“Good morning, Director,” he says. “So nice to see you again, I hope you’re well?”

“ **Good morning, Libra,** ” the figure greets, the monotone voice booming and pitching in different octaves that it’s hard to get a read on who’s talking. They say after a moment, “ **I am well.** ”

“That’s good,” Libra mutters. His smile falters slightly as he leans back, straightening his form and looking at the screen with slightly narrowed eyes.

“It’s been a while since you last called me to the Center,” he states, gauging his next words. He sighs, “Is there something troubling you?”

“ **Yes, there is,** ” the Director answers. They shift on the screen, going to the right as another display enters the abandoned side. Libra tilts his head to the side, eyes intent on the picture present.

“ **This is region of Ebott,** ” the Director says, a name coming up on top of the picture. “ **It is located at the base of a Mountain of the same name. It is a small region, occupying the Mountain itself and only a third of land beside it.** ”

“Okay…?” Libra mutters, a bit confused at the image. “The Ebott region didn’t really make the news until about a year and a half ago, but I’ve heard of it before. They say it’s a naturally beautiful place because of the Monsters, though I don’t know why…”

The Monsters, when they first resurfaced from the Mountain, weathered the storm of hate and disgust that Humans seem to carry every day of the week. It had only been a couple of weeks until the army was thrown into the mix by the government. It was to their luck that the government chose to help them and hear their plea. They only wanted to live on the Surface, to feel the wind, see the sun, and live freely like the rest of the Humans. Libra could remember the news clearly: Monsters smiling kindly at everyone who greets them, eagerly shaking hands and trying to look as pacified as possible so as to not alert any Humans.

Eventually, the humans were appeased and plans were arranged. The Monsters were given rights to build a home on the Mountain and a small patch of land beside it. It still took a year for them to convince the army to leave, and another three months to finally go past Ebott and explore the world without government supervision. Asgore, Libra recalls the King’s name, was probably the only respected Monster in the entire country, but that’s only because of the continued prejudice.

He scoffs at that, but the twinge of concern never leaves him. It’s funny how he feels for these creatures despite not having met one personally. Their cry for freedom and the story of the brave child that freed them makes his heart ache a bit. He shakes the feeling aside for later, and focuses back on the screen.

“What’s wrong with the region?” Libra asks.

The Director snaps their fingers, and the picture of the region shifted. It shows colors Libra is all too familiar with; green for population, yellow for land mass, blue for water, purple for energy, and red for power, pulsing in waves in the picture in front.

“ **Something has been releasing massive fluxes of power within the region’s vicinity,** ” they say, motioning to the red splash of color engulfing the entire picture, possibly more. Libra takes a breath, sizing up the measures. It definitely looks threatening.

“ **It appeared about a year after the Monsters resurfaced from the mountain.** ” The Director continues, “ **STARS has observed it the moment it was discovered, and it grew to the size you see now in three years time.** ”

“The Monsters are biologically made of magic, aren’t they?” Libra asks, gesturing a hand towards the screen. “They have little to no physical matter. Is it possible that, perhaps it’s just the Monster’s uncontained magical reserves?”

Though the spike of power strikes him as odd, it would be too cautious to assume that it may not be a false alarm. STARS have gotten false alarms in the past, mapping uncharted seas that claim to have the multiverse essence, only to discover a meteor that laid dormant under the ocean floor for hundreds of years. It’s best to assume that nothing is wrong, especially since Libra doesn’t want to work on a summer.

“ **That is what I believed, as well.** ” The Director pauses. “ **But that is not the case.** ”

Their wrist flicks over to something and a new color shows itself. The greens are surrounded by white light, and Libra has to squint to get a better view of the display. The mix of colors is not helping him visualize the region, unfortunately, but a new color means a new factor has been added. That piques his interest, so he waits for the Director to tell him about it.

“ **What you see that surrounds the populace is _magic_ ,**” they state. “ **As you can see, energy and magic do not count as a single factor. It is the discovery of this new factor that leads me to believe that it may not be the Monsters causing this imbalance of power.** ”

“Oh, okay…” Libra mutters, a silent huff of protest at their use of the word _balance_. “So, what would you have me do? The Ebott region isn’t entirely populated by Monsters…” Glancing at the screen once more, Libra takes note of the patches of green that are only enveloped in purple, just energy, and no white.

“While that would make it easier for me to blend in,” Libra adds contemplatively, looking at the numerical estimate of the population. “Don’t you think it would be dangerous to send a Zodiac in a heavily populated area?”

Silence fills the room after that, the constant static resounding in his ears. Libra might not see the Director’s face, but he knows that they haven’t thought this through. Not just yet, and that’s one of the reasons why he’s called here, to act as the balancer. As lamely as it sounded, he is the only one the Director trusts with issues like this. He doesn’t exactly know _why_ , but he guesses it has something to do with his sign as the Scales.

But… what The Director is asking of him, is implying that he does, is something Libra has had trouble with in his time as a Zodiac. He wishes it isn’t what he thinks it is, but he feels that it is going in that direction already.

The Director’s figure shifts slightly, and Libra hears a sigh escape their lips. The short breath relaxes him somewhat, ready to hear what the Director’s answer is going to be.

“ **It has been a long time since The Zodiacs have been called into action,** ” the Director states. They move back to the center of the screen as the display of the Ebott region vanishes. “ **Two of you are being sent to highly important missions that will change the course of STARS history.** ”

“That aside,” curiosity piqued but focus steady, Libra brushes off the Director’s attempt to change the subject. “You are aware that if the power turns out to be multiverse essence, I may have to eliminate the source.”

It isn’t a question, and he says it in a way that he hopes would cause The Director to change their mind.

“ **Yes, I am aware.** ”

Libra bites the inside of his cheek to prevent a sigh from escape his lips. Of course The Director wouldn’t change their mind. Everyone in STARS knows that the multiverse essence is too dangerous to be left alone. Its influence could cause massive damage to the environment, and may very well cause extinction in a specific area. But to destroy it is the same as bleaching the entire vicinity, extinguishing life almost instantly. No matter what, the situation is a loss, one that Libra is not fond of being in.

“Destroying whatever source that is will cause… _disastrous_ results,” Libra pauses to gaze sternly at the screen to what he assumes is the Director’s eyes. “I am going to guess that you wish for me to go there, find the cause of this power surge, and destroy it if necessary, am I right?”

“ **Yes, that is correct,** ” the Director says after a beat. “ **You are not required to destroy the source, however, as it contains enough power to generate another multiverse locator.** ”

“ _Another_?” Libra repeats, the statement having him slightly surprised. “The one we have is finished?”

“ **Our scientists have collaborated with a few Monsters who are well-versed in the theory of multiple universes, and have managed to create a working prototype not three months ago,** ” the Director recalls. **“During such time, none of the Zodiacs were present within the Center to know of it.** ”

“Ah, I see.” he says. Adjusting his glasses, he adds, “So, what will I do if the power source _isn’t_ retrievable, and I _have_ to destroy it?”

“ **Then you will destroy it–** ”

“No I will not,” Libra cuts them off with a clipped tone. He feels frustration bubbling up in his chest as he continues his tirade. “Director, we have discussed this. I will not, under _any_ circumstances, participate in a mission that will result in harm of thousands of innocent bystanders! The Monsters have only been aboveground for four years, and now you wish for me to possibly destroy the home they have worked so hard to build?”

“ **Libra, be calm.** ” the Director soothes, but there is an underlying command that echoes in Libra’s ears, forcing him to sigh and look away.

“…My apologies, Director,” he mutters, still not looking as the figure shifts again. He hates that he is treated like a child, but he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. Not really. So he attempts to calm as the Director continues to talk, hoping to resume whatever role of balance he has left to take up.

“ **The mission is simply reconnaissance, at most.** ” The Director begins to explain. “ **The Zodiacs are not demons, and I will not send you to commit genocide to destroy any multiverse essence. I will give you six months. In that time, you must gather enough information about the influx of power, and determine whether or not it is dangerous. If it is, then STARS will evacuate the region before we send the others to destroy it.** ”

“That sounds… fair,” Libra agrees begrudgingly. Sighing, he continues, “Never mind, it is fair. The multiverse essence would have them killed if it goes unchecked… And if it isn’t that, then STARS may use it to traverse more universes.”

“ **That is the goal,** ” the Director agrees. “ **If we can travel across other dimensions, we may find more people like us, willing to defend their worlds against foreign dangers like the multiverse essence… We are not the enemy here, Libra.** ”

“I never said–” he snaps his head towards the direction of the screen, but ultimately cuts himself off. “I know you’re not, but the thought of hurting others to accomplish our goal just doesn’t sit right with me.”

Libra stands, the swivel chair moving a few inches back as he does so. He pulls on his sleeves and tucks his hands behind his back, bowing slightly in front of the screen.

“I acted out on emotion,” he mutters, slowly bringing his head up. “I couldn’t complete my task as the Bringer of Balance today, and for that, I apologize, Director.”

“ **Six months, Libra,** ” they say as he straightens himself. “ **If you are set in saving the citizens of the Ebott region, finish your task in time.** ”

“Understood,” he is turned away from the Director as he opens the door. He barely registers the blip of the screen shutting off when the door closes behind him. Silently, he walks back to the elevator and lets his brooding begin.

Every single time, this happens, yet every single time, it’s overlooked. The Director is funny like this, Libra thinks. He is supposed to bring rightful judgment and absolute balance, which is what he was told, anyway. But the Director overlooks this every time he acts on emotion, not even mentioning it after he apologizes every time. He has only been to the Center a handful of times, but he knows how to act around superiors. He shouldn’t have done that, especially since he’s one of the only two allowed up here.

The only two people allowed up the Center are him and Scorpio, and Scorpio is far more experienced in handling affairs like this. With him being far more successful in literally almost anything, it’s impossible for Libra to compare. Sighing, he presses the elevator button to call it up, leaning against the metal doorframe.

Perhaps the Director doesn’t mind his outbursts, or perhaps he’s slowly being evaluated. Whatever the case, he has his assignment, and he’s beginning to get very excited at the thought of personally meeting Monsters. It brings a small smile across his face, shaking hands with the Monsters, getting to see King Asgore in all his glory… Now he wants to get the mission done as quickly as possible–

“Ah, damn it…” he whispers dejectedly, the smile on his face leaving immediately. “Remember the rules, Libra. Once the mission’s over, leave. No trace, no strings attached…”

He laughs weakly, no lace of humor as he rambles to himself. “Oh, and let’s not forget that other rule where you’re _free_ to live your life as long as **_you don’t talk to anyone outside STARS_**! Funny how that can lead to a perfectly _normal_ life… _-Oh, but the rules are here to protect you-_ , from having a social life and real friends, yeah! What a bunch of bull–”

“Am I interrupting something here?”

He freezes, the voice cutting through his rant and effectively silencing him. No way, please don’t…

He pushes himself away from the doorframe, slowly, apprehensively, as a twinge of cowardice disrupts his usually friendly demeanor. He almost runs back to the Center when he sees those light-blue eyes gazing at him, filled with amusement as a smirk slowly graces the person’s lips.

“Libra,” the man acknowledges nonchalantly, nodding his head to the other’s direction and causing the light curls of his short brown hair to bounce. Libra doesn’t even move, gulping down the bubbling anxiety that wants to burst out of his throat.

“S-sh-shh…” Libra wheezes out. He remains in the stasis for a few moments before his hand comes up and slaps him across the face. The man’s eyes widened a bit, but the smirk on his face remains, if not more pronounced with a chuckle.

“S-Scorpio…” he stutters pathetically. He must look so ridiculous right now, like a child caught yelling profanities in the living room. How long has he been there, leaning against the side of the elevator doors and just… _looking_ at him? What is he going to think now that he heard everything that he said about the rules? Everyone knows that he isn’t particularly happy about the Center’s tight security, but Scorpio is more than likely to report this to the Director just to mess with him.

“So,” Scorpio starts after the tense, awkward silence. “Are we done with the monologue and weirdness? Because I have places to be, and I’m not so much of an ass as to push you outta the way, so…”

“W-wha…?” the other asks, before realizing exactly what he meant. “O-Oh, I’m sorry!”

Libra steps to the side, and Scorpio walks past him, fixing the collar on his black shirt as he does so.

“Thanks, Libra.” he says. “And don’t worry…” He leans towards the smaller figure, mouth inches against his ear as he whispers, “ _Everyone hates the rules_.”

“Uh–”

Before he could say anything, Scorpio is already walking towards the Center, not looking back. Libra stares at his direction for a moment, before making his way towards the elevator.

He takes a moment to relax again as the elevator goes down, only for a moment, though, as his mind begins to boggle at Scorpio’s statement.

“What was _that_ about…?”

Everyone hates the rules? That doesn’t seem true at all, if he thinks about it long enough. No one complains about the rules more openly than he does, anyway. The simple mutterings, the ignorance of specific orders from time to time… He is a trouble maker as much as he is a Bringer of Balance. And if anyone _did_ have a say in the rules, they have no intention of bringing it up ever.

Maybe they’re silently brooding over it like him? Now that he looks at it in that light, he supposed it makes sense that he doesn’t know about it. No one would actively say how unfair it is for humans like them to live in a gilded cage; as amazing as it is _surviving_ , it doesn’t compare to actually _living_. They have the key, but they can’t use it or they’ll get shot, and that’s what upsets him the most.

The elevator screeches to a halt two floors before his intended stop, and he snaps out of his thoughts as the doors slowly pan open. He’s pulled out of his bad musings at the sight of a friend, a familiar face that puts a smile on his.

“Sister!” he exclaims, catching the girl off-guard. She starts, but calms down when dark brown eyes lock onto his lighter ones.

“Oh, Libra,” the girl sighs, smoothing her dark hair as she did so. “You startled me. What are you doing here?”

“I was called in to the Center by the Director,” Libra answers, smiling at her. “So, Sister, what brings you here?”

She stands by the door, fiddling with the black straps of her teal-colored off shoulder blouse. The sleeves hang loosely beside her chest down to just before her wrists. She definitely doesn’t look like she’s supposed to be here, brown shorts and doll shoes in all, but Libra has known Capricorn since they were little. She is his closest friend, almost a sibling he never had. She comes to a job without proper dress code, just like him, and she doesn’t mind one bit.

“I’m running a favor for Professor Meizer,” she pauses, humming to herself before she continues. “You know, she could use your help, too.”

“Me?” Libra asks, confusion gracing his face. “What would Professor Meizer want from me?”

“You’ll see,” she simply says, gesturing for him to follow with her hand as she steps to the side, holding the elevator door with the other.

“Okay,” Libra merrily follows Capricorn out the elevator, relief flooding his system. He’s just happy to be distracted from his mind at the moment, and to have someone to talk to after that nerve-wracking incident with Scorpio.

“Hey, Sister,” he begins cheerfully, mind still aloft. “You’ve been outside of the Center and STARS a few times... you know, after the Monsters appeared. Have you encountered any before?”

“No,” she answers. “Monsters were not allowed to leave the Ebott region when I was out on the job.” Capricorn shakes her head a bit. “Unfortunately, after that, I didn’t get much opportunity to actually meet them. I’m sure you will, though.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” he mutters, mood dampening a bit as his eyes scan the wall away from the girl. _Poor topic choice, Libra_ , he scolds himself.

He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he looks back to see Capricorn smiling softly at him. He still notices the glint of concern in her eyes and the furrowed brows that go with it.

“Hey, don’t worry about it too much.” she coos, knowing exactly what’s making him feel down. “At least you’ll get to meet a few someday, right? It’ll be a nice memory to look back to.”

“Thank you…” he smiles a bit at that. “But I don’t want it to be _just_ a memory, Sister… You know that. I want… _friends_. _Real_ _friends_ , not just fellow Zodiacs or coworkers… I just wish we can live normally…”

“I know, Libra… I know…” Capricorn says, almost in a shushed whisper, before turning back around and resuming her normal pace. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, show some of that positive attitude! Professor Meizer has a gift for you!”

“A gift…?” Libra, still only faintly smiling, raises an eyebrow at that. “But it’s not my birthday yet…”

“Neither is mine,” Capricorn shrugs, a smile on her face as she faces him once more. “But look at this…”

She points to her neck, just between her collarbones, where a teal pendant of the Zodiac Sign for Capricorn hung snugly around her neck, secured by black lace. Libra stares at her, giving her the _“what am I supposed to see?”_ look. She sighs once she gets the message, dropping her hand and turning back around.

“Come on,” she urges. “Let’s get yours and you can see for yourself.”

He shrugs, but smiles and follows her to a white door at the end of the hall. The door slides open and they step into the large room, where Professor Meizer holds most of her concepts, designs, and prototypes for Sign Gears. Libra hears flames searing and metal parts scattering on the grey floor; the professor is here, and she’s busy with something, as usual. They walk around a long, multi-level shelf reaching the ceiling and blocking the view of the other side. It is adorned with machines of all sizes, assortments of metal plating, broken weapons, and strangely, black fabric.

“What’s she doing with fabric?” He touches the cloth, the light material soft against his skin. He doesn’t remember seeing any types of fabric in the Professor’s lab, and he’s been here many times before. His attention from it breaks when Capricorn calls him.

“Libra, over here!” she says. He turns to see her already at the end of the shelf, her form illuminated by sparks of orange and yellow. Seems like she found the Professor, then, but he still hasn’t realized that she has visitors.

Libra lets go of the fabric, looking over it once more and embedding it to memory before going towards Capricorn. She nods to herself and walks to the right, disappearing from view for a moment. The clattering of machinery and metal stops, and the orange and yellow lights dim until slowly disappearing as well.

“Oh, Capricorn, you’re back!” a shrill, scratchy voice exclaimed. Libra cringes a bit at that, he still isn’t used to her voice. The eccentric professor is nice enough, and is always enthusiastic when helping the Zodiacs. But maybe she gets a bit _too_ enthusiastic about it, as she sometimes forget during her experiments that, despite being stronger than the average man, the Zodiacs are still human.

He reaches the end and turns to see Capricorn sitting on the edge of a table, hands on both sides and feet dangling a little as she looks over something Professor Meizer, who is sitting on a swivel chair, is doing. She spots the dark-haired young man, and nods for him to come over.

“Professor,” she says, still looking at him as he walks over. “I believe you were looking for another Zodiac?”

“That’s right, Capricorn, I am.” Meizer looks up to her for a moment, and then turns her chair when she spots the brown splash of color next to her. She grins, wrinkles on her face tightening, as she looks up at Libra. He smiles at her, nervously and nods awkwardly.

“Good morning, Professor,” Libra greets.

“Ah, Libra, perfect timing!” she exclaims, bolting up from her spot and shocking Libra into taking a step back. She grabs his hand before he takes another step, pulling and seating him down on the swivel chair in her place. He spins him around and grips the chair tightly, stopping right in front of the desk.

“You’re just in time,” she croons. “I just finished yours! Capricorn got hers early, but your new Sign Gear is functioning fully now, too!”

“My Sign Gear?” Libra repeats, feeling slightly dizzy. He makes a small motion of shaking his head, and shifts his gaze from Capricorn to the table. He sees a pair of bracelets with short black lace, clasps open and lined on either direction. He notes the pendants of his Zodiac, Libra the Scales, one black and one white, and he reaches out to touch one it.

“Wear them, go on!” Meizer encourages excitedly. He side glances at Capricorn, who simply nods and smiles, and then looks back at bracelets. Taking a breath, he rolls up his sleeves slightly to give room for the accessories. He could feel the pendants pulsing with some sort of energy, the feeling tingly and intensifying as he touches the clasps and puts one on.

He rings it around his wrist, and the moment he locks the clasp, his breath hitches and something shoots up within him. A mad power, like electricity through wires, courses through his veins and making its way to every nerve in his body, shocking but not really hurting him. It disappears a few seconds after, and he could see the faint glow of the black pendant. He lets out a shaky breath he didn’t doesn’t remember holding.

“W-what…was that…?”

Nervously, he casts a glance at Meizer, who only grins wider at his slightly terrified expression. Beads of sweat start to appear on his face, dotting his forehead and dripping down his cheeks. He doesn’t stir until Capricorn speaks.

“It’s okay, Libra.” she claims, grasping at the pendant on her chest. “It feels... off, concerning even, but it won’t hurt you. Put the other one on, if you would.”

“O-okay…” He mutters, gulping down the twinge of anxiety blocking his throat. If Capricorn says it’s fine, then he could trust her on that. He grabs the other bracelet and quickly puts it on before he changes his mind. He shivers as the same thing happens, but much less pronounced. He manages to breathe throughout the whole thing this time, only a tingling sensation akin to numbing shrouding his body before disappearing completely. He notes that both black and white pendants are glowing faintly, dangling just below his pulse. He feels a breeze emanating from his wrists all the way up to his hands.

“They’re… heavy,” he mutters as he lifts his hands, turning and inspecting one of his wrists. “And… I feel a breeze? Why is that?”

“Ah, so it already imbued itself onto you? That’s interesting!” the professor exclaims, spinning Libra to face her. For someone who is supposed to be elderly, she is having an easy time dragging Libra’s chair and tilting it forward, forcing him to stand up.

“H-hey!” he stumbles a bit, but holds on to the ends of the table to balance himself. He quickly straightens himself, and he feels Meizer’s hands patting his back.

“Hmm… No physical alterations, immediate side effects unconfirmed…” She continues listing off calculated analyses as she examines him, lifting his arms, checking his pulse. And he’s just standing there, looking at Capricorn in confusion.

“Professor Meizer will explain,” she says, before he could even ask. “I don’t understand much of what she did to the Sign Gears, but it’s stronger and more durable now.”

“But… these are accessories…” he trails off, flinching as Meizer swats his back with a rough grunt of what sounded like disappointment.

“No changes,” she mutters, “Your body has fully adapted to Monster Magic. How uneventful, you’re just like Capricorn.”

“M-monster Magic?” he asks, confusion more prominent on his features. The professor nods, pulling her chair back towards the table and sitting back down.

“That’s right,” she says, busying herself with another piece of what looks like Sign Gear. “Your Sign Gears, made with STARS’s top-grade materials and most advanced technology, are now infused with Monster Magic. Monsters were invited to the Center to work on the multiverse locator with STARS, as well as to secretly improve your Sign Gears.”

“Oh, right… Monsters came here…” he sighs, the minor information escaping his mind. He remembers the Director telling him about this, but he might have brushed that off in favor of his brewing emotional rant.

“Yes, but only a handful,” Meizer confirms, not looking at either of them as she tweaks the Sign Gear in her hands. “They agreed to invest some of their magic to STARS in exchange for a more sustainable power source in the Ebott region. And no, Libra, it’s not the power source the Director is pointing to.” She quickly adds when she notices the look of suspicion on Libra.

“I wasn’t going to say that…” Libra mutters, but Meizers looks unconvinced. “I am just curious as to how Monster Magic is used to improve the Sign Gears… They don’t look like weapons anymore.”

“True, the Sign Gears are weapons used by Zodiacs such as yourself whenever you’re in a pinch,” Meizer holds out Libra’s arms again, careful not to touch his wrists or hands. “But with the addition of Monster Magic, it has become more compact, lighter to carry.”

“Capricorn, show him how it works.” The old woman instructs, prompting the girl to stand and walk a few steps away from it.

“I’m still not used to how it feels… but, okay.”

“What’s she going to do?” Libra asks as Meizer pulls him a few steps back. The professor stays silent and just looks in front, so Libra does the same.

Capricorn is silent and still for a moment, grasping her necklace with one hand. Her eyes are closed but focused, brows furrowing in concentration. The inside of her fist starts to glow a teal light, shining brighter as she breathes slowly and deeply. The glow begins to circle around her feet, a light breeze picking up from underneath. Libra stares, awe and wonder present on his face. He only watches as the circle grows wider, dust blowing off as it continues its strong and steady pace.

She takes a deep breath, and she opens her eyes. Libra sees Capricorn’s eyes shining the same teal color, but it fades as quickly as it appeared.

She lets go of the pendant a second later, and the light separates from the accessory that flitters in front of her, shimmering and intensifying that Libra has to cover his glasses to shield his eyes from the blaze. It lasts for a few seconds, before the light slowly dims down and fades into nothing. When he lowers his hands again, his eyes widen in surprise and awe.

“Is that…?”

Capricorn only nods, but smiles and stands proudly as she holds her weapon, a giant black war hammer, with intricate carvings decorating the dark metal pole. The top resembles that of the head of the Capricorn, a narrow but blunt tip extending and parting two ways and curling under itself like horns. Two teal gemstones are secured in the middle of the hammer, the eyes of the Sea Goat, Libra thinks.

Capricorn looks a bit shaken, but shifts her weight to her right and rests her hand on her hips. The weapon starts to glow teal once more, and when she lets go, it fades into nothingness. She puts her hand down, staring at the pendant before looking back up to the two in front of her.

“It takes a while to get used to,” she admits.

Libra takes a moment to process all this, and when it finally clicks to him that magic is indeed involved, his smile reaches from ear to ear. Capricorn notices, and is glad to see that kind of reaction from her sibling-friend.

“That’s so cool,” Libra breathes, clenching his fists and as they shake with excitement. “I can do that, too?”

“Yes, yes,” Meizer interrupts, patting his shoulders and pulling him back more. “All amazement aside, there are more tasks to be done. You’ll do better if you test them out on the field, both of you.”

The girl follows them as she pulls Libra in a wide, open space of her lab. She drops her arms and looks at Capricorn, frowning slightly.

“I’ll give you a few minutes,” she mutters. The other nods gratefully, dark brown eyes gazing at her before looking back at the confused male in front of her.

“What’s going on…?” he asks, curious but worried all the same. Professor Meizer leaves the two of them to go back to her desk to work on the next Sign Gear presumably, and Capricorn has her arms crossed, hugging herself just above her elbows.

“Libra,” she begins. The other feels suddenly uncomfortable, wishing that the tension in the room isn’t so suffocating. What’s wrong all of a sudden?

“Is something wrong?” he interrupts. “You don’t sound too happy…”

“No, there’s nothing wrong, but…” Capricorn assures him but trails off, leaving the next few seconds in utter silence. She speaks again when Libra opens his mouth to speak. “I’m leaving today, Libra.”

He stops and visibly flinches at that, eyes going wide at the statement. But before he could say anything, or even think of anything to say, Capricorn continues.

“It’s not the way you’re thinking,” she continues in a tone that’s supposed to assure him. It’s not working. “I’ll be away for a while, in a place where you can’t reach me. We won’t be able to contact each other, and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone… I guess it’s good that I ran into you by the elevator, then. I wasn’t sure if I was going to see you today.”

“W-where are you going…?” he asks, voice becoming shaky as the gears in his mind work to understand what she’s saying. She’s going to go somewhere he can’t reach, and there’s no way to contact each other. The only question bothering him now is _why_ , but he doesn’t want to say it.

“The Multiverse Locator has been finished.” Capricorn states, glancing back at the professor’s direction. “With the Monsters’ help, STARS has managed to work around the low possibility of making it.”

“And what does that have to do with your leaving?” He sounds upset, like a child in a tantrum. But he couldn’t help it. The only person he could ever hope to get along with in the Zodiacs, leaving. He doesn’t want that, but he knows that as Zodiacs, their duty to protect the Universe comes first… no matter how much he wants to shove it off.

“STARS has located another Universe,” She mutters, more quietly than normal. “The Multiverse Locator has enough power to tear a hole in the fabric of space, just enough to send one person in that Universe…”

He doesn’t like where this is going, but remains quiet as Capricorn trails off again. He has an arm holding his other one, his unoccupied hand gripping his sleeve tightly. Libra is smart enough to know what she’s implying, but he lets her finish what she’s going to say. He could tell that it’s just as hard for her to say as it is for him to hear.

“The person they’re sending is me,” she finishes, still not looking. “I don’t know how this will go, but I was told to retrieve something from that Universe; another power source to be able to go to other Universes. I don’t know how long it will take, but they’ve given me the necessary equipment I need to be able to get back should… things go wrong.”

“Sister…”

“It’s going to be okay, Libra,” she soothes, gently brushing her bangs to the side. “I don’t want you to worry. I always come back, don’t I?”

“I understand…” Libra mutters bitterly. Capricorn looks at him and smiles, a sad smile that hurts him still.

“I know you do,” she says, stretching her arms as she walks closer to the boy. She pulls him close, arms circling around his shoulders and resting her chin on his head. “Be good, okay?”

He nods, not trusting his words at the moment. She lets go of him after a bit, and she smiles at him again, brighter, but just as sad.

“Come on, don’t be so glum,” she cheers. “I’ll be back before you know it! I just wanted to tell you so you won’t freak out when I’m gone.”

“I-I... okay.” He nods again, smiling slightly. “So when The Director told me that it’s not just me going on a mission…” She raises an eyebrow as he trails off.

“Yeah,” she mutters, nodding. “I wish you luck on your mission, Libra. You’ll do great.”

“You too, Sister.” he says. “Should I… I mean, I should see you off, shouldn’t I?” The question makes the other chuckle.

“You should, but Professor Meizer doesn’t want any observers.” Capricorn looks back at the professor. “She says it won’t be dangerous for the one going in, but it might have other effects on the ones outside.”

“…Okay, then.” Libra mutters as he puts his arm back down, he’s smiling fully now. “Then I wouldn’t want to send you off with a sad face, so do great out there, Sister! Show them how great the Zodiacs of this Universe are!”

“Of course,” she chuckles, winking. “I’m sure they’ll be surprised if they ever decide to challenge me. I’ll be sure to keep the fights to a minimum, though.” A laugh escapes her. “I wouldn’t want to set a bad impression.”

“You do that, and I’ll do my best with this power problem near the Ebott region.” He smiles when his Sister’s eyes widen a fraction.

“Libra!” she exclaims suddenly. “I’m so happy for you! You’re going to meet Monsters!”

“Not as lucky as you,” Libra says. “You get to go to another Universe! How awesome is that?”

They do this, friendly jabs at each others’ missions, to lighten the mood of an otherwise awkward situation. There’s still the underlying sadness, the worry and concern that reaches their eyes in silent understanding, but they don’t dwell on it now. Now, they want to see each other happy before doing what they’re supposed to do.

Libra leaves with a last hug for Capricorn, who takes a moment longer to let go, and heads back to the elevator. With him finally away from the lab, he lets out a sigh as he finally lets the sadness overwhelm him. He still fights back the tears, even with the fear of never seeing his Sister again a constant, anxious reminder of his overworking mind. He needs to stay strong, to hope that everything will go well, and that when he gets back, his Sister will be here, too.

Besides, he has to get ready for his mission, as well.


	2. Minor Miscalculations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of events leads up to be one of Libra's most stressful days outside, and he's only been out for day. Well, at least he's on his way to Monster Town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a very weird, out-of-focus, couch potato.
> 
> I drew some Librart (ha, yeah), if you wanna see?
> 
> [ Lookie lookie ](http://hellyeahlibra.tumblr.com/post/140582058492/my-oc-libra-from-my-fanfiction-tipping-the)
> 
> Anyway, here's some Libra finally getting out and experiencing life. Lucky him. XD

Libra had prepared everything he needed for the six-month mission in the Ebott region. It was going to be his longest mission yet, but that was only if he lets it. He was informed that STARS already prepared living arrangements for him there, and would be equipped with all the high-quality necessities that he needed to have for basic, independent living, all of which provided by them.

To be completely honest with himself, however, Libra has absolutely no idea what he needed to bring for _basic_ , _independent_ _living_ , well, outside of STARS, anyway. He was, and is, only relying on STARS this whole time to get by on his daily ‘life’. He has no knowledge outside of everything he was taught back at the Center, plus a few things he’s seen and studied over the Internet, and that simple fact scares and frustrates him. He brought clothes, his toothbrush, some candy for the travel, a laptop, and some other things he threw into the pile when he hastily packed his over-sized backpack yesterday. Today is a rather hot day, much too hot for him to be walking outside, and Libra thanks whoever invented air conditioning for the temperate safety of the vehicle he’s riding on.

Sighing, he looks outside the car window, spacing out as his eyes speed past the blurring scenery in front of him. Having only a silent driver that is too scared to look at him and a stuffed bag for company doesn’t really lighten his mood. This is another thing STARS has provided for him, and while he appreciates their discretion when it comes to the Zodiacs’ identities, it’s not really necessary. No one is going to recognize him, anyway.

_I wonder how Sister’s mission is going…_

He cuts the trailing thought in his mind with a rough shake of his head, focusing instead on the many shades of green melding in the background below them. He doesn’t need to think about Capricorn now. He knows she’ll be back, and Capricorn always keeps her promises. With another sigh, he props his elbow on the door, leaning sideways on his fist. The driver doesn’t really talk much, so he doesn’t know how long they have until they reach the Ebott region.

“Excuse me,” he calls with a slight mumble in his tone. “Um… Are we there yet?”

The driver flinches at his voice, and Libra could see his eyes darting from the road to the mirror above him, looking at his reflection, and then back to the road. He raises an eyebrow at the person’s behavior, as he has done nothing that would upset them or otherwise make them uncomfortable. Does the driver know he’s a Zodiac? Either way, it’s taking him quite a while to answer, and it’s only when he takes a turn to the right that he mutters a reply, voice slightly shaken.

“Seven h-hours…”

“Oh,” the young man voices. “Well, since we have time, do you mind if we just talk? I’m getting kind of bored, just sitting around…”

“I’m given strict instructions not to speak with you,” the driver states, not looking back at him. Libra catches the annoyed tone in his voice, and shuts his mouth before he could say anything else. “We’ll arrive at Monster Town, near the base of Mt. Ebott, in seven hours. I won’t speak again.”

_Okay_ , he thinks, overall disappointed and gloomy that he has managed to annoy the first person he spoke to outside of STARS. He stares back outside, light brown eyes catching sight of his somber expression reflected by the tinted glass, and swiftly looks down on his lap. The young man doesn’t know what else to do, so he grabs his backpack, opens one of its many compartments, and pulls out a small, white rectangular music player with a pair of ear buds attached to the audio jack.

As he put the ear buds on and scrolled through his playlist, he remembers the written reports given to him yesterday by one of Professor Meizer’s assistants. He still hasn’t read them yet, and perhaps it is the perfect time to read through it all. After selecting proper ambient music for his seven-hour trip, Libra rummages through his backpack once more and finds the white, plastic-covered folder containing all the information he needs about the Ebott region and its inhabitants.

“Let’s see what we have here…” he whispers as he opens the folder.

The first page contains a lot of information about Mt. Ebott and its history, mostly about the Human-Monster War thought to have been folklore for over a couple of millennia now. No one but the Monsters know of what happened then, as Asgore had stated that he was the ruling King when the War first broke out. Everything he knows about the past has been spilled and recorded in multiple interviews, spreading like wildfire throughout the Internet. While some are still skeptical about the whole thing because they believe his memory has been skewed with time, many others accept this as fact now.

Libra hums and makes noncommittal noises as he scans over the page. He isn’t skeptical in the slightest bit, not when STARS believes it, too. They wouldn’t present this type of information to him if they have doubts, but he’s reading about it now, so that means that it’s true, or at the very least, they trust Asgore enough to take his word for it. That’s truly saying a lot, if Libra has any opinion in that case.

The next few pages detail about the forming of the Ebott region. Libra has heard most of these by now, but doesn’t really have any solid facts regarding this. He reads with great interest, recognizing the government’s best effort to pacify the Monster hate groups forming from different parts of the country. Although they state they have all things under control, Libra couldn’t help the concern tugging at his heart as he read a rather discomforting report.

“ _-While a massive amount of the anti-monster hate bands have dispersed in fear of mass arrest, there are still whispers of a terrorist-like group aiming to ‘rid the world of demonic influence’. It is said that this group has been tied down to the many attempted assassinations of the King of Monsters, Asgore, as well as the Ex-Queen Toriel.-_ ”

Libra continues to read the next few pages, more frustrated and angry than horrified at these Monster haters. Granted, he has never met a single Monster yet, but to form groups dedicated to a race’s destruction just because of differences? He huffs in irritation at the aggression of humankind, at least somewhat glad in the knowledge that he didn’t grow up to be that disdainful towards change. He flips through the remaining pages of reports, quickly scanning various key points before moving on.

Libra stops at the several dozen remaining pages, suddenly feeling flustered. The young man filters the pages quietly and swiftly, growing more uncomfortable until he finally wrenches his eyes away from the papers. He shouldn’t be reading _these_! STARS has _never_ given him background information on the populace before! The reports are long and detailed, and some are even diving into the individual’s daily habits and routines. This is too personal, and evidently not required for this mission. He doesn’t need any help, and STARS knows that. Unless they think that he’s been slacking off, which he isn’t, the invasion of privacy of complete strangers is utterly beneath him. He chucks the papers back in the folder, shuts it, and shoves it back inside his backpack. Scrolling down his playlist again, he selects another track and checks the time. Only an hour and a half has passed since his short conversation with the driver.

Libra sighs, leaning back in his seat. With nothing to do and lots of time to spend, he basically has no other option but to sleep. So, resigning to that, he closes his eyes, and lets the music slowly drift him into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

* * *

 

He awakes when his body jerks roughly from his seat, almost sending him flying if not for the seatbelt securely locking him in place. The violent shaking reverberates across the entire vehicle, and he feels the world turning upside down. Something is happening, but the rude awakening has disoriented his mind and he can’t think straight. The world spinning doesn’t quite help, either. Why is his bag floating all of a sudden? And why isn’t the driver screaming? Is he so stuck on the rules that he even refuses to scream anywhere near him?

_That’s not helping_ , Libra shakes his head minutely, and focuses on covering his head with his hands and shielding his body from any impact with his arms. He feels the car tumble a few more times before realizing that they must be falling off a ditch somewhere. The car must have slid off the road when he was asleep, and the driver still isn’t responding to anything. He begins to worry for the poor man, but soon the car spins twice before landing on its side, scattering glass on the ground as well as a few on his clothes and hair.

Hanging awkwardly, Libra carefully removes the seatbelt from his form. The moment he sets the lock free, he holds on to the rail of the back of his seat to keep himself from falling to the sharp debris below. He looks up, and though the door is severely damaged and well beyond repair, he still manages to force it open. Must be his lucky day, he sarcastically muses to himself.

Libra checks himself for a moment to see if he’s all right. His clothes and hair are disheveled, no cracks on his glasses, his ear buds blaring music as they hang off the middle of his jacket’s neck. With everything fine, he jumps up the door and sits on the edge near one of the tires. Pulling up the music player, he checks the time.

“Huh, three and a half hours since I fell asleep…” he murmurs, looking up to observe the sky. The sun is on its way to setting, dark blues, oranges, reds, and purples blanketing the vast canvas of the sky. He becomes transfixed on the scenery, despite having a steep incline blocking most of the sun already. He stays there, staring at the sky for a good few minutes, until he remembers that he isn’t the only one in the car.

Collecting his thoughts, Libra grabs his backpack from the broken car, slings it on, and jumps down from the vehicle. He moves to the hood, noting the broken windshield as he crouches down to get a good look at the driver. The poor man is wedged between the seat and the steering wheel, the door beside him protruding in an awkward angle and preventing his limp body from dropping. Blood trickles down from his head, staining the wheel and his clothes, but Libra isn’t sure if that’s the only wound the driver has. He isn’t moving, though, and his body is slack when he tries to pull him. A sudden sinking feeling tugs at Libra’s chest, and he pulls his hand away from the lifeless body in front of him.

He clenches his hand against his chest, muttering a whispered apology before standing up and walking away. He is done here, nothing to do but move forward. As Libra silently wonders about how the accident happened without him waking up beforehand, he then remembers that he has absolutely no idea where to go. Light brown eyes look around cautiously, scanning the area for any landmarks that may lead him back to the straight and narrow road to the Ebott region. He only finds a sea of trees taking up the many acres of land around him, shrouding the foreground in ominous warning. He could climb back up the incline, but that will take too long, and if he even reaches the road, the walk would be even longer.

“Lucky day,” he deadpans. He almost gives up, turning back in resigned recognition for the long trek up, but then he remembers the reports STARS has given him.

The report on the Ebott region has a map.

He almost flings the backpack from his hand as he hastily brings it up to his face, opening the zipper and quickly getting the reports. He carelessly sets the backpack down near his feet as he examines the printed map on the piece of paper. He stares at it for a few moments, moving the sheet in different angles as he tries to discern the direction he’s supposed to take. The map isn’t quite as hard to read as he originally thought, but he has to be quick about it since his only light source is starting to fade. The directions don’t look confusing now that he sees where STARS was located, and it only takes him a few minutes to remember all the landmarks they passed through before his short nap.

“Okay, I think I got it…” he glances towards the incline once more, noting the broken off railing where the car must have busted through. A shiver runs down his spine, but he remains mostly unfazed by the common danger. He follows the main road’s direction, heading west to where the incline should begin to lower as the road integrates back to the highway. Libra assumes that he’s going to take at least an hour more before he arrives to the Ebott region, so he takes his time walking and admiring the fading colors of orange painting the leaves a warm, soft glow.

Now that he’s finally outside again after a very long time, Libra is going to take as long as he wants to appreciate actually being _out_. The scent of nature, the wind on his face, and the soft feeling of earth under his sneakers; he missed all of this. Four years of seeing nothing but black, blue, and white rooms filled with nothing but training simulations, exercise areas, and sterile hospital rooms is enough to drain him of his enthusiasm. Thankfully, he never shows it outside of his own quarters, and would always smile and laugh like normal around the other employees or, on the rare occasion, Zodiacs. Capricorn and Scorpio are the only two he sees often, and their meetings are usually separated by weeks apart, but that’s just how busy they mostly are. He’s the only one who ironically isn’t called out for missions, as he is required to mediate the Director’s decisions either directly at the Center or remotely via a computer in his quarters.

But now that he’s out, he isn’t going to squander this opportunity. He has six months, after all. That’s a good amount of time on his hands to get his mission over and done with. He could just delay his reports for a month or so before heading back, just to have a taste and feel of freedom. Libra feels a small smile at the thought, leaning back a little as he walks and tilting his head up to gaze at the sky again. Stars begin to dot the black canvas of the evening, twinkling and shining with their small lights. He briefly wonders if he would see any constellations tonight, but he really needs to look at where he’s going.

“Ow…!”

Libra almost trips and falls on an exposed root of a large tree he failed to notice. He catches himself just in time, regaining his footing and stumbling along briskly as he resets his momentum. He shakes his head, a silent promise to not lose sight of where he’s going while still admiring the dimming scenery around him. This is going to be a long walk, so he’s going to enjoy every bit of it.

Not even an hour later, Libra finds the highway, streetlights illuminating the wide, otherwise dark, road. There aren’t many people travelling at this time, even though it’s still early well into the night. Most people are still uncomfortable living with Monsters, and the Ebott region is populated mostly by Monsters anyway. There are too few human-accommodating establishments, restaurants that serve human food, and even regular malls, according to the reports. Apparently, despite the warmness of opening up to the Monsters, humans are still mostly keeping to themselves. He is still glad that there are humans who travel the road to the Ebott region; whether it’s to visit a Monster friend or to find a new place to live, at least they’re showing their willingness to change.

He spots a couple of police vehicles and an ambulance blaring their sirens and rushing towards the opposite direction of the highway, going up to the rising road. He raises an eyebrow at that, wondering if perhaps they were heading towards the accident that happened to them earlier. Though they would not find survivors, it is comforting to think that the man will get a proper burial instead of being in his current situation. As the vehicles pass by, he continues on his way, avoiding the highway itself, but remaining beside it to walk along its general direction. He can see Mt. Ebott from where he is, so he knows he’s well on his way to the Ebott region.

The mountain looks like a looming shadow on a stage backdrop at this distance, shrouded in dark mist at the top as the clouds gently floating through make it seem like it’s more ominous than it actually is. There are faint wisps of light blinking, glowing faintly within and below it that prove false these silent worries. Libra looks at the busy lights and feels at ease, and picks up his pace. He couldn’t wait to be part of that bustling crowd, even if it’s just for a moment. It brings a light, warm feeling to his chest, slowly spreading out to his body and giving him a fresh boost of energy. Feeling more invigorated, he starts to jog towards the descending slope of the highway…

“Ah, what?” he mutters in disbelief. The highway is _much_ bigger than he originally anticipated. It’s like a giant snake, slithering across the vast earth in several twists. While walking all the way to the Ebott region is no concern for him, he doesn’t want to wait any longer to get to the Ebott’s town, playfully named Monster Town. He sighs, having no other choice than to use his–

“Oh,” is all he manages to breathe out when a black van honks its horn beside him. He didn’t even see or hear it stop there, curious. He’s on the edge of the highway, standing and just waiting, so it seems natural for others to think he was trying to hitch a ride. Libra grins at the opportunity. Yep, it is definitely his lucky day.

“Hello,” he greets when the tinted glass slides down, revealing a man with dark-grey hair wearing shades to hide his eyes. Libra screams internally to himself while retaining an otherwise straight face. Never mind his previous statement, this man seems like bad news already. _No one wears shades at night!_ , he thinks to himself, not revealing any of his distress to the seemingly kind stranger he’s facing now.

“’Ey stranger,” the man calls, voice gruff and gravelly. “What’cha doin’ out here on a highway this time a’night? You lost or somethin’?”

“I lost my way, sir,” Libra replies, nodding his towards Ebott’s general direction. Then he immediately corrects his statement, “Err, um… Not that way. I mean, I don’t have a ride.”

“I can see that,” the man chuckles. “Were ya headin’ towards Monsta’ Town, by any chance?”

“Yes, I am,” he nods, smiling and feeling his worry ebb away in spite of himself. This man could really just be trying to help. “Are you going there, as well?”

“Visitin’ a friend,” he answers. He then points his thumb towards the passenger seat and says with a chuckle, “Why don’tcha hop on in? An extra head ain’t gonna hurt anyone.”

“Oh, thank you!” Libra clasps his hands together and bows slightly at the man before moving towards the passenger seat’s door. He opens it and steps inside, sitting comfortably and adjusting his backpack on his lap. The man seems to be on the road on his own, no sight of anyone else in the vehicle. The older male shuts the window and begins to drive down the slope of the highway, and silence passes them by.

After what seems like an hour or so of just driving, Libra begins to notice some odd things, and it starts to put him edge. The driver suddenly starts pulling up something from his neck, which turns out to be a facemask. He assumed that it could be for his safety, as the driver might have a cold and he doesn’t want Libra catching one. He hasn’t heard a cough or sniffle the whole time he’s been here, though. Before he could think about what is bothering him about the whole thing, he catches scent of something sickeningly sweet, yet so subtle he couldn’t place it. It’s making him feel light-headed, and he doesn’t like it one bit. He reaches out to a button, trying to open the window and let the smell out, but the switches are strangely locked into place. He catches a faint clicking in the driver’s seat, and he feels more than sees, due to his shades being in the way, the old man’s stare when he looks up the rearview mirror.

“Somethin’ botherin’ ya, youngster?” he asks a little too casually. Libra narrows his eyes at the mirror, refusing to answer the elder. Instead, he smiles and straightens his voice. He’s starting to get a little hot under the collar, but he’s going to try his best to not let it show.

“I hate to be a bother, _sir_ ,” he begins as politely as possible, though there is a hint of something when he addresses the man. “But can you unlock the windows, please? It’s getting kind of hard to breathe…”

The older man just chuckles darkly, completely ignoring his request and taking a sharp turn away from the highway and back to the forest, but still heading towards Monster Town. Libra waits for a few seconds more, recomposing his thoughts and forcing himself to calm down. When he realizes that the man is completely taking advantage of his assumed naivety, his right eye twitches in annoyance. The first one he spoke to died because of an accident, but he is very much unsure of how this one is going to end up.

“Yer a pretty young laddie,” the old man suddenly starts, voice muffled by the facemask. “Don’t look like the outdoorsy type, ain’tcha? New ta Monsta’ Town, too…”

“And…?” Libra drawls, unable to keep himself from doing so as the old man trailed off.

“And?” the latter repeats. “If folks find ya _dead_ and _abused_ anywhere near that place, a place where those _freaks_ promised _–no human harm would reach–_ , the government’s gonna have hell to pay.”

Libra tenses up in worry, not for his safety however, but for the safety of this man. He is having an awfully hard time containing his fury at the sudden declaration. He is going to be bait for Monster defamation. He lets that thought sink in for a few seconds. As if he’s going to let that happen, though.

“That’s not very nice,” Libra mutters, now fully glaring at the man through the mirror above him. “Stop the car and let me out.”

“Gettin’ a little rude there, son?” the elder asks, smirking at Libra’s intensifying glare. He is too cocky for his own good. “Good, I like it when they bite!”

“No thanks.”

Before the old fart registers his response, he hears a loud screeching, followed by a crash beside the young man. He looks up the rearview mirror, his eyes widening at Libra’s disappearance, accompanied by his car door. He could see the latter standing a few feet away from the vehicle as he skids it to a stop and stomps out of the vehicle. Brushing off whatever dirt that clung to his clothes and backpack, Libra grabs the bent car door and turns it around a couple of times, as if examining the broken part.

He waves at the man as he steps outside, “Sorry! I’ll call someone to replace your door!”

“Shut yer trap!” the man shouts back, gritting his teeth and seething in anger. “No one told me there’d be _freaks_ that look like humans, too!”

“Oh, I’m very much human,” Libra rolls his eyes at the freakish accusation. “Your behavior, though? That’s not human at all.” He steps forward, dropping the door that let out a loud thud. “I’ll look over the fact that you attempted to harm me, _sir_ , but I don’t like the fact that you did it to try and deface Monsters. What have they done to you that made you hate them so much?”

“Done ta me?” he growls, also stepping forward and shoving his hands on the heavy trench coat he’s wearing. “They ain’t done _shit_! They’re freaks, that’s what they are, and I’ll be damned if they continue breathin’ up here!”

“You are a very angry man,” The young man quips with a slight tilt of his head. The man is taking something in one of his pockets. “I’m sure if you get to know them, you’ll come to realize that your anger is unintentional? Unnecessary violence makes a person…”

He starts approaching the man as he speaks, pointedly staring at the hands inside his trench coat. He stops just a couple of feet away from him when the gray-haired elder pulls out a silver-colored revolver. He points it at the younger, hand shaking as he forces it to steady.

“…irrational.” he finishes, ignoring the gun that is shakily trying to aim at his head. “Are you sure you know how to use that, sir?”

“S-shut yer mouth, freak!” the man yelled. He forces his arm to steady and aims it at Libra’s head, earning a frown from the smaller male.

“I’m being very nice here, sir,” Libra’s voice is low, firm albeit patient. “Please, do not push yourself to do something you’ll–”

He doesn’t have time to finish his sentence when the man, slowly losing his wits, pulls the trigger with his twitching fingers on accident. The next set of events leaves a bad taste in Libra’s mouth, but he understands that it is necessary. He dodges the bullet as he anticipated its fire, enraging the man even further as he loads up for the next shot. Using his right hand, he grabs the older man’s wrist while the other aims for the gun. In a show of speed, he disarms the shocked man, throwing the gun as far away as he could while keeping his grip on the other’s wrist. He doesn’t wait for the old man’s reaction as he brings his left hand to his chest, palm facing the other and he roughly pulls on the man’s wrist, sending the elder towards him. Libra thrusts his palm at the latter’s chest, forcing a choked gasp from him. Knees shaking, the assailant only gets a moment to register the breath getting knocked out of him. Using the momentum, Libra shifts his feet backwards and throws the man up and around, keeping a good grip on his wrist as his arm twists behind him when he lands on the ground face first. The young man straddles the man from behind while keeping his arm bent up the back of his neck. When he hears a groan and no other response follows through, he slowly releases the man’s arm to check his pulse.

“Knocked out,” he sighs in relief, “Good. I’m sorry mister, but you need a serious time out.”

He checks twice to make sure that his assailant is really out of it, and then went back to the van to search the man’s glove compartment. He knows that it’s probably rude to rummage through another person’s belongings, but hey, he _was_ almost assaulted. He smiles but quickly changes it to a scowl when he finds a long, thick rope inside, as well as some… _other unmentionables_ inside the container. He pulls the rope carefully and shoves the compartment shut when he has all of it. Returning to the elder with a slight look of disgust in his face, Libra gets to work. He ties the other’s hands and legs together on his back, bending his knees and forcing him to arch awkwardly. He doesn’t stir, though he groans, and Libra secures the rope firmly but gently.

“I hope you learn your lesson by the time you wake up,” he says.

With another spur-of-the-moment idea, he produces an empty sheet of paper and a pen from his backpack, and writes exactly what he said with the addition of his attempted crime. There is nothing wrong with informing anyone that passes him by of his attempted transgression, after all. Now that he thinks about it, this man might have been doing this for a long time, even before he became a target. So, with that in mind, he feels more comfortable leaving the note, and man, on the ground for anyone to see. Police will be coming back from the accident scene soon enough, anyway, and they’ll likely stumble upon this man’s car. He glances at the direction of the accident one more time with sullen expression crosses his face that disappears in an instant as he does so. Then he places the note between the man’s pants and underwear where he can’t reach it before going on his merry way.

Just as he reaches the main road again, he notices the giant arch that is holding a sign at the top in between the two columns. “ _Welcome to Monster Town,”_ it says, and Libra’s eyes widen in awe and enthusiasm. His jaw slacks a bit as he walks excitedly, still looking awestruck by the sign. He’s finally made it. He’s in Monster Town now! He could see people of different species, both Monsters and Humans, strolling on the sidewalks and interacting with different vendors from the open market literally at just behind the gate. Their happy smiles and cheerful laughter fills his ears as he gets closer, feeling his heart skyrocket in excitement and glee. He feels so gay now, it doesn’t even matter that he happened to have almost been assaulted on the way here. This place already looks too amazing and inviting, it’s a wonder why most people _don’t_ want to stay here, or at the very least visit. Lanterns hang from strings tied to ends of rooftops, giving the place an Eastern-style look. Looking at it more closely, it seems that the design of the town is a mix of both modern housing and old Eastern décor. He certainly thinks it’s cool, but he can’t help but wonder why they chose this particular style. Excited nonetheless, Libra doesn’t know how to properly convey his emotions at the moment, so he continues to stare at everything as he steps through the arching gate and–

A deafening, almost crushing pressure suddenly engulfs his form, and he is snapped out of his wondrous musings immediately. His body shakes as he tries to recollect himself, raising his head with extreme difficulty. The pressure almost breaks the ground under his feet, and he struggles to keep steady as his vision blotches with black and white streaks. Everything around him begins to distort, nothing taking an actual shape or form and warping into various degrees of horrifying. Light brown eyes scour the area for the source, but he finds nothing as more streaks of black and white block out his vision. But, in the deepest recesses of his mind, he could see it, something that he knows he’s seen before. It’s not easy to forget the image, seeing as it was embedded in their minds from the moment they were able to talk. A glowing orb of _pure_ , _undiluted_ power, pulsing with energy that can only be felt by the Zodiacs after stepping into its territory is trying to assert its authority, to teach him so he could learn his place and go back. It fades a little while later, and the town slowly regains its color and vibrant atmosphere. Libra has to take an actual minute before he regains control of his eyesight, and he spots a few of the locals eyeing him carefully, looking at him with concern or sympathy. He doesn’t pay them any mind, but silently appreciates everyone’s concern. They don’t know what he’s going through, and he’s definitely glad that they don’t. This is his burden to carry, and as a member of the Zodiacs, it’s a part of his duty and responsibility.

Still, it’s interesting that it revealed itself so easily. He raises his head and smiles defiantly at nothing, but he knows something somewhere recognizes his expression. Oh, how he’s forgotten about this feeling; the feeling of the multiverse essence _screaming_ at him, _taunting_ him to try and find it. It always seems to be the case with these things, always hiding and always goading the Zodiacs to find it. But when they do find it, it panics and pathetically defends itself. This one is almost too excited to meet him, already trying to scare him by extending its power like that. The young man chuckles in thought, curious as well as a little insulted. As if something like that is going to scare him off so easily. He’s been to tougher missions when he was just a little kid, and this is going to be nothing for him. At the very most, the multiverse essence is going to cause panic to the locals by deliberately putting attention to itself, so he just has to find it before it does.

Libra shrugs, feeling magic from the bracelets surge through his fingers as he clenches them to control his excitement. The challenge is set, the mission clear. Now he knows for a fact that the multiverse essence is present, it is going to be so much easier finishing his job. He’s going to have to call the others in sooner or later, but he’s going to make sure that it doesn’t cause any more trouble for the locals before evacuation plans are discussed. He is determined to have a lot of time for his vacation. With that in mind, he takes a step forward, confident and ready for whatever the enemy throws at him.

Then he remembers that he has a house here.


	3. Getting Comfortable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to adjust to a new lifestyle is hard when your enemy is everywhere and nowhere at once, and Libra finally meets a new Monster neighbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight scenes are hard... *goes to corner*
> 
> I drew some more art. :v Not the best, but it is what it is.
> 
> [Here ya go](http://hellyeahlibra.tumblr.com/post/141035647527/i-should-be-studying-for-finals-on-wednesday-but)
> 
> Also, I highly encourage comments, feedback, and any of the sort! ^^ I'm just glad that people are reading it~
> 
> Well, here's the third one. Have fun~ <3

…Well, the mission could certainly wait, can’t it? Yes, it can, because he came here with the idea of interacting with Monsters and actually having a vacation, and he’s definitely not just going because he wants to ogle at his new living quarters. He already feels exhausted from having to walk for what felt like hours while also having to deal with a criminal on the way here. A little rest and relaxation in his _new home_ is certainly not being lazy and unproductive.

_Just a little rest_ , Libra reminds himself. Still, the fact that he has somewhere to sleep in that is _not_ cramped and square fills him with even more excitement. He forgets the cool air and confidence immediately as he bounds along the street, checking street sign after street sign to see the proper directions in the papers. Just a little rest, and then he’ll go to find his target. Just a little rest, and then he’ll be able to go wherever he wants. He’s reminded of how much time he actually has, and how many places he can spend his days here. But, as Libra crosses the street, reaching a less-traveled neighborhood based on the sudden drop of temperature and passersby, he is also reminded of how little he should get attached. His bounding energy slowly disappears as he ends up walking the last block to where his home is supposed to be, a sad smile gracing his face.

_That’s right_ , his voice echoes in his head. _I’ll never be able to stay here, anyway. So what’s the point of getting too close?_

The young man lets a sigh escape his lips when he rounds another corner, and stops when his eyes land on the street address. This is definitely the address STARS has given him, and as he stares at the structure in front of him, he couldn’t stop the smile slowly stretching his features.

Grass blankets the soft earth surrounding the single storey house, illuminated by a couple of lanterns hanging above the row of wooden poles right along the sidewalk. Their bright, yellow lights give everything an ethereal glow, casting the poles’ shadows across the elevated house. Different types of shrubs and bushes cover the brick foundation of the house, but Libra could see some peeking out from the spaces between the plants’ bases. The structure itself is, from what he can tell with the limited lighting, beautifully painted and decorated. Asphalt divides the yard like a welcoming carpet for the new owner. Ivory railings begin at the set of stairs, spreading and bordering the covered porch and lanai as it stretches and turns to the left. Same-colored columns stretch upwards to support the flat rooftop. He climbs the stairs, eyes still transfixed on every detail of the house; the tan walls, the oaken panel doors, and the clear glass windows framed white. All these things are new to him, and it’s where he’s supposed to stay.

His home.

Gulping down a bit of trepidation, Libra grabs his backpack and reaches into the small pockets again. He fishes out a small key Meizer gave him before he left, stating that it was the key to his new quarters. She must have meant this, right? He presses the key against the door’s lock, eyes widening by a fraction as it fits into place.

“Well, what do you know?” Libra sighs in wonder, his smile growing. His breath deepened, anticipation filling the air. With a turn and a push, the door slides open, revealing the dark space of his home. His hand feels along the walls, finding a switch for the light and flicking it on.

Light brown eyes widen in surprise and delight, suddenly feeling more at home than in his quarters back at STARS. Tan walls make everything seem brighter with the help of the light, and it delivers a sense of warmth that just feels homely. Smooth, plush carpeting covers the expanse of the living room to the right, and he could see a tiled floor next to a doorway on the left that leads to what he assumes is the kitchen. The young man kicks off his grey sneakers and puts them on a rack beside the entrance, feeling the soft material through his socks. He explores the living room, placing a hand on the backrest of a cream-colored sectional leather sofa. It takes up a whole side of the living room, with uneven spares facing each other across either end. The asymmetrical shape, for once, doesn’t tick Libra off. It feels aesthetically pleasing, surprisingly. The glass coffee table at the center has a small, circular vase with some golden flowers as a centerpiece. Though it stands out, it’s very Monster-like, he thinks. Golden flowers have been a very defining point in any Monster household. Looking up, he notes the large flat-screen sitting atop a small stack of drawers, speakers on either side. The people at STARS have really gone out the way to making this place as comfortable, and expensive, as they can. He wonders why, though, as he will never be allowed to stay here after the mission is done. Still, he takes time to embed each piece of furniture, every little detail to his memory, glad to at least have them for the amount of time he’s been given. The house is quite small compared to the ones he passed earlier, not like the mansions and palaces that he’s seen on screen or from afar. But this place, the little space near the edge of this rarely visited neighborhood given to him and him alone, it’s all he’s ever going to know. A sad thought flits by his mind, only to be squashed by further excitement as he explores the house some more.

He goes to the kitchen next, and sure enough, everything looks incredibly expensive. White polished marble counters, top-of-the-line fridge, and it’s fully stocked, too. Checking the cupboards, he finds many canned goods and several condiments there, as well. It’s not really filled to the brim, but it will last him for a couple of months. He sees the dining room further down, but makes a beeline back to the living room to see what the other two rooms are.

There’s a door at the end of the small narrow hallway across the entrance, and another to the right. Libra is a little surprised to see two bedrooms in the small house, each equipped with their own bathroom. No one but him is going to live here, anyway, so he doesn’t see the point of the extra room. Perhaps it was already there when STARS set it up, so he doesn’t dwell on it. He decides to take the one at the end, noting that there’s little to no difference between the two of them. Both rooms come with a queen-sized bed, three large feather-filled pillows, a stand beside it with a lamp on top, and a small closet across the bed. Libra sets his backpack down on the bed and removes his jacket, hanging it near the edge of the bed. He’ll arrange his things later, but now he wants nothing more than to take a nice, relaxing shower.

As he moves to take his shirt off, he remembers his new Sign Gear. The young man raises his hands in front of him, curious about the weapons now imbued with magic. As much as he likes the idea of using magic, he has no real reason to use them right now. Professor Meizer is right about field testing, though, but he still doesn’t want to just yet. He’s simply not ready.

“Can I take these off, though…?” he asks aloud, turning his arm slightly to see the clasp. It shouldn’t be a problem, right? Nervously, he moves to unlock the clasp of the black pendant. When it clicks off and nothing imploded within him, he figures that it’s safe to take them off. Unused, they are like any ordinary accessory. He sets both bracelets down on the stand next to the lamp and contemplates on taking his glasses off, too. He decides against it and goes to take off his socks instead. The plush carpet feels cool and ticklish against his bare skin, so he quickly moves to the bathroom and shuts the door.

After about thirty minutes, Libra is dressed in a comfortable light caramel shirt and a pair of white-striped black track pants. He’s tied his jacket’s sleeves over his waist as he organizes everything he’s packed in the closet. He’s wearing a pair of white house slippers he found inside the closet when he first opened it, and is busy hanging most of his clothes when he feels a light pressure settling around him. His eyes widen in surprise, but immediately narrow into a silent glare as he stomps back to the stand, grabbing his glasses and Sign Gear.

“Can’t I get some sleep first, please?” he grumbles, already annoyed by the slight increase in pressure in reply. He’s the only one who can feel it, and this thing is being smug about its power. “I am _not_ changing out of my comfort clothes for this.”

Libra locks the bracelets in place, and he could already feel the magic seeping out of it in response to his annoyance. Despite his inexperience in actual battle, he is quite ready to show the multiverse essence that he deserves some respect, but he is not letting it wreck his new home. He steps outside through the dining room, where a glass sliding door leads to the lanai. He continues walking through the back of the house, which is thankfully a forest with no other signs of living activity, as magic further flows through his fingers. The pressure around him rumbles, as if the stupid thing is laughing, and he sighs at that, not wanting to scowl or frown. No need to let it see how it’s affecting him, after all.

In the deep darkness of the forest, he finally spots a clearing far enough away from the town to not attract any unwanted attention. By now, the magic flowing from the pendant is practically begging to be released; only Libra doesn’t know how to do that. This is the first time he gets to use to the new Sign Gear, and he’s already facing the multiverse essence. Well, part of it anyway. Being near omnipresent in an area within its reach makes it almost impossible to hide from the conscious ball of energy, and there’s also the fact that it can manifest in different forms nearly anywhere that has Libra worrying. The question of why it doesn’t just finish Zodiacs off when they first enter its territory lingers in his mind every time someone successfully destroys one, but no one seems to have a definite answer for that.

He closes his eyes and concentrates, trying to call out for his weapon. If magic is anything like he thought it is, then just willing for his weapon to come to him would be enough. Just as the pressure around him builds almost unbearably, he feels a quick pulse around his wrists and a bright light flashes on his face before a weight replaces it. When he opens his eyes, he grins in delight.

“Nice,” he says, inspecting his now materialized weapons. Big, chain-like cuffs now cover his wrists with an extension covering half of his left forearm. Atop the left cuff are light metals curving in on either side, half a foot long together and splitting in the middle in place of a narrow tube. More tubes, far thinner than the ones on top, spread from the cuffs to each of his fingers, stopping at the bases where the knuckle ends and the fingers begin. They are covered by black fabric, making them look like fingerless gloves with traces of white indicating where the thinner tubes are. The weapons look the same, but something has definitely changed in them.

Libra lifts his head up to glance in front of him, suddenly finding that he’s not alone in the once quiet forest clearing. Surrounding him are creatures of unidentifiable shapes and sizes, hunched and crouched and ready to strike in a single motion. Are they waiting for him? That’s nice if they are, but they lost their chance to win. The dark-haired Zodiac stands in silence as they size each other up, not one moving to make the first move. A large cloud passes overhead, covering the moon and stars in a shroud of darkness. In a still moment, everything silent, nothing moving within the circle of their makeshift arena. Once the light of the moon peeks through the tail ends of the cloud, however, all hell breaks loose. All the creatures, he wouldn’t dare call them Monsters, jump at him with claws and fangs poised at his form. He takes a stance and darts his eyes quickly to find an opening in the mass.

_Just like the simulations, Libra_ , he reminds himself. He takes a deep breath, before dashing to an opening across, sliding just under the creature’s clawed feet. He pulls himself back up and points his left hand towards them, right hand steadying and aiming the weapon above. He flicks a lever on the side of the extension, and the weapon brings out a steel bolt in between the arches. It shoots out as the curves seem to flinch, finding its target. It leaves a hole in the form of the damaged creature straight through its chest. The creature howls in anguish before fading to nothing, and he shrugs lightly when the others turn to growl at him. He flexes his fingers and smiles at them, repositioning his arms as the run and scamper towards him.

Libra runs back as he shoots at more of the creatures, jumping and launching himself against a tree and shooting a few more from above as he runs towards another direction. He continues the chase without leaving the clearing, weaving through the bodies and pinning the creatures away from him. Tumbling and dodging through most of their attacks, he is acutely aware of the dangers it implies if anyone, Monster or Human, finds him in this predicament. He punches one when it got too close to him, flicking the lever at the same time to imprint a new hole in its face as it fades away. He tries to run to another direction, but immediately finds himself surrounded. Only this time, it looks like the multiverse essence has decided to stop simple pleasantries. There are a few of what the Zodiacs call _Sentinels_ , large armored creatures that are summoned by the multiverse essence to stop anyone that gets too near it. They also act as executioners, given a larger amount of energy by their creator to destroy their targets. Libra’s heart begins to pound anxiously in his chest, magic coursing through his weapon as he loosens his clenched fists. He has fought a Sentinel before, but never in more than two or three. There are far more than three, plus more of the lesser beings are circling him, almost taunting him with their growls and low howls.

He panics slightly when one jumps in front of him, moving to shoot the enemy away. His mouth opens in silent surprise as translucent strings, glowing bright blue, shoot out of the smaller tubes above his knuckles and swipe through the creature. It fades to nothing as he looks at the top of his hands, open surprise turning into a giggle of delight as he realized what it must have been.

“Ooh, cool~!” he exclaims, feeling a soft buzz of magic tingle his fingers as he flexes them. His strings were changed, so that was it! The thought excites him, and he doesn’t waste another moment as he conjures up more strings, sending them out to the creatures. The magic pierces, slashes, and cuts through the creatures’ bodies, and some get tangled and crushed in them, as well. He spins in a swift motion as groups jump at him, the strings effectively slicing through them as he jumps back when they fade away. Sentinels move far more slowly than the others, but they make up for it with their incredible strength and durability. Libra manages take one down by wrapping its arms in strings and shooting multiple bolts through its chest before ripping its arms off. The large creature bellows in pain, kneeling in front of him as it fades. He jumps out of the creature’s way, but notices too late when another Sentinel from behind him poises to strike. He avoids the giant spiked mace that was aimed for his head by jumping up and away, but has to cross his arms in front of him when the greater being follows through with a solid punch. With no other way of dodging in midair, he gets hit and harshly flies off, back facing the rough bark of a tree as his weight fractures the trunk.

He probably should have worn something else _other_ than his comfort clothes, because the comfy caramel shirt did nothing to protect his back. His arms feel bruised from the impact, but are otherwise fine. He groans as he pushes himself away from the tree bark and lands on wobbly feet, arching his back and sighing when he hears a crack that doesn’t hurt too much. His clothes feel a little dirty, though. Glancing around again, Libra sees that the lesser creatures are back again, more ferocious and angry than before.

“The price of freedom,” Libra sighs, flexing his fingers and aiming his crossbow arm once more. He has a feeling that tonight is going to be quite the long night. 

* * *

 

Two hours. Finally, after two hours of endless fighting and running, Libra seems to be finished with the multiverse essence’s _greeting_. Huffing and panting as he barely holds his own weight, the last of the Sentinels _finally_ falls. Trapping and restricting its movements with strings helped a lot, but he feels exhausted from having to use too much. Perhaps it’s the imbued magic Professor Meizer spoke of before, but it felt as if he was using his own energy when he used his strings. It didn’t feel like that before, but he supposes again that it has something to do with the magic. When the multiverse essence shows no sign of summoning more creatures, he lets himself relax. The pressure around him has been alleviated, and it doesn’t feel as if it’s going to come back soon. He sighs, wiping off some sweat on his forehead with his fingers. He feels a slight twinge of magic as his weapons fade in white light, and the weight on his wrists disappears as he takes notice of the pendants once more. Satisfied, he starts the weary walk back to his home.

When he arrives back to his comfortable new house through the lanai and dining room again, Libra fixes himself a quick dinner. He takes a loaf of bread, oil, and some ham and cheese from the fridge and sets them on the counter. Ingredients and ideal dinner set, he places a pan on the stove and lets it heat up for a few moments. As it heats, he takes a knife and a cutting board to slice off a few pieces of the bread and ham before wrapping them back up in their containers. Pouring some oil on the heated pan, he backs away a bit as it bubbles and settles on the surface. Libra grabs the tongs from the assortment of utensils hanging from a hooked rail next to the stove, and places the ham pieces down one at a time, the smell of cooking meat already making his stomach rumble in approval.

As he waits for the meat to cook, he puts the toast pieces on the toaster right beside the fridge. Returning to the pan with the tongs, he flips the ham as they fold on themselves, a rich tasty color gracing their textures. A few minutes later, he turns off the stove and puts the cooked ham on a small plate. Quickly fixing up his ham and cheese sandwiches, he takes a seat on the dining table. Just as he’s about to take a bite, he hears three solid knocks on the door, followed by a deep, melodious voice.

“Howdy,” the voice says through the door. “Is anyone home?”

Libra takes a small bite out of his sandwich, standing up and walking towards the front door with a fresh bout of minor anxiety. He sees a giant shadow looming over the blurred glass of the door illuminated by the lanterns outside, so he assumes that it’s a Monster. Smiling, he quietly and gently opens the door to greet the local townsperson. His smile turns to an awkward gasp of surprise when he spots not only a Monster, but the King of Monsters himself standing in his porch and smiling down on him with gentle eyes.

“Oh,” Asgore hums in mild surprise. “You are quite young. I am led to believe that the owner of this new home lives alone. Is this true?”

“Y-yes, your Majesty.” Libra stutters, bowing his head slightly in both embarrassment and respect. If he can just hide away in a hole and shrivel in embarrassment, that would be great. He’s wearing sweatpants and a sweaty shirt, and he’s greeting the King outside exposed in the chilly night. The King doesn’t seem fazed by the cold, though, what with all the fur, as he comfortably wears a pink Hawaiian polo and a pair of baggy shorts with floral patterns on both clothing.

“Oh, come now,” the King merely laughs. “Simply Asgore is fine, young one. I apologize for interrupting your meal. Perhaps I should visit tomorrow, instead?”

“Uh… oh!” he glances at the sandwich in his hand, still only partially bitten. “I-it’s okay, Y- I mean, Asgore, sir.” He couldn’t stop himself from quickly adding the last bit, as he is taught to recognize his superiors and regard them in better respect. Asgore raises an eyebrow at this, and the young man sighs as he thankfully says nothing about it.

“You are living here all by yourself?” the king asks, to which he replies with a nod. “I see. I doubt this is the time to inquire such things, but it is tradition in Monster Town. Well, as far as tradition comes, I feel.” He chuckles, before adding, “With that, may I ask if my wife and I drop by for a visit tomorrow? Say, lunch?”

A visit? He isn’t prepared for this. He didn’t know that Monsters had a custom of visiting newcomers to welcome them in their town. Nothing’s written about it on the reports he’s been given, anyway. How come no one wrote about that? He avoids the King’s inquisitive gaze as he waits patiently for him to answer. He doesn’t know how to cater to guests, especially if they’re royalty! He tries to keep his breath even so the King wouldn’t see his nervousness, taking a bite out of his sandwich. Bad move, as Asgore catches the slight shaking of his hand as it comes up to his mouth.

“Are you cold, young one?” the king asks, a hint of concern lacing his voice. The young man stops from taking a bite, still looking around nervously as he jaw clenches. The King continues, adding, “If so, then perhaps you should wear the jacket around your waist? The nights here are not quite as cold as the nights up the mountain, but it is still best to protect yourself so you would not catch cold.”

“U-uh…” he stutters out, still not looking at Asgore’s direction and avoiding his question. He holds his arm with another, clinging gently on his elbow as he bites his lip in more contemplation. He can’t let anyone in, fearing that they might find out about why he’s been sent here. But on the other hand, he can’t really outright decline his offer. It would seem totally rude to deny the King of all people of something as simple and casual as a house visit. It’s tradition here, apparently, and he doesn’t want to be the first one to break it. Who knows how many visits the King has personally done with new strangers to their territory? He’s probably just worried, as well as genuinely kind, and a little concerned when it comes to Humans since they didn’t really build themselves up right. Attacks could happen within their homes if he doesn’t check, after all. But this doesn’t click with Libra’s mind, the thought of breaking his cover weighing heavily on his mind. Thankfully, Asgore has sensed his discomfort and places a large, fluffy hand (or is it paw?) on his shoulder. He flinches slightly at the contact, but relaxes when he sees the giant’s gentle gaze.

“Perhaps,” the King begins, “it would be better if you come over, instead. I understand that living alone takes quite the getting used to… And I am sure someone as young such as yourself will need all the space they need to adjust.” He chuckles lightly at that, but the young man notices the shift in his tone before it disappears quickly. “That being said, I would love to have you over our home! I’m sure my wife and my child will be delighted to have company over for an afternoon meal. What say you?”

“O-oh,” he mutters, still feeling unsure. Well, it’s better than letting him and the ex-Queen inside his home, at least. He doesn’t know if he would be a good host, either, so logically speaking, this is the best compromise. Still, the thought of being inside a King’s home for just a regular lunch leaves him a bit uncomfortable, if not out of place.

“If it’s, uh… I’m not troubling you, am I?” Libra voices out after a moment. He knows that Asgore will not budge now, seeing as he has already made compromises for their traditions just to accommodate him. But again, it just doesn’t feel right for someone who just moved in to be invited to the King’s abode just for a welcoming visit.

“Of course not,” Asgore answers with a light squeeze of his shoulder, seemingly a form of assurance. The young Zodiac warms at that, smiling and finally relenting with a sigh.

“I’d be honored to visit your home, Asgore, sir.”

“Asgore is fine, young one.”

“Right,” he laughs lightly, shaking his head. “I apologize, it’s how I was taught to talk to people of higher ranks. And you, as everyone knows, have one of the highest.”

“As noble as that is, it is simply not necessary,” Asgore insists. “I am simply a friend, welcoming you to your new home.”

New home… Libra’s cheeks warm at the words. He still can’t grasp the fact that STARS went all out for this little reconnaissance mission. His smile grows wider at that. Suppose it should be all right if he indulges in the King’s offer. It doesn’t compromise his mission at all, and it would mean a chance to get to know them a bit more.

“Okay…” he breathes out. Asgore nods, glad to have reached an understanding, and releases Libra’s shoulder.

“Splendid!” he exclaims, a delighted smile crossing his face as he pats the other’s shoulder lightly. “I am sorry for interrupting your dinner, young one. Four years out in the sunlight, and I still cannot fathom when it is just to invite myself over for a welcoming visit.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Asgore…sir.” He quickly mumbles. “Sorry.”

Asgore merely nods and laughs, “I admire how you make the effort to show your respect, young one. And I’m sure you will warm up to us once we get to know each other a little better for lunch, tomorrow.”

“Ah, yes,” he says. “Oh… I have no idea where your house is, though… I’ll need pen and paper…” he mumbles to himself. For a short while, Libra begins to get lost in his own thoughts, thinking aloud on the possibilities if he got lost. It isn’t until Asgore clears his throat that he manages to slip back to reality, a flustered look on his face among apologetic eyes.

“I-I’m very sorry,” he stuttered out. “I have to get something, I’m sorry, but please stay and wait here.”

“Take your time,” again, Asgore just nods in understanding. He treats him like a child, and yet despite that, he feels surprisingly okay with it. He bites onto the sandwich, chewing and pulling it in his mouth with his lips as he searches his room for a piece of paper and a pen. After finding them, he goes back to Asgore and asks their address.

“It is not hard to miss, I assure you,” Asgore says for the third time since he wrote down their house address.

“I’m sure it is, Your Majesty… Uh, I mean, Asogre…” He has to bite his lip from saying sir again.

“I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, young one.” Asgore says, beaming a smile at him. He can’t help but return it, nodding enthusiastically as the large Monster wishes him a good night.

* * *

 

Asgore hums delightfully as he strolls back into the bulk of Monster Town, the marketplace, located just before the entrance of Mt. Ebott. It’s as busy as ever, he thinks, as he takes in the sight of a pair of human families laughing along with the bunnies of Snowdin. Seeing everyone so happy on the surface and getting along, the old King feels some weight lift off his shoulders that puts his mind in a sort of ease. He knows that, even in the time they spend up here, Humans and Monsters will never be able to truly get along. Most Humans still distrust his kind, and while some prefer to brood over it silently, the others are far more aggressive and violent with their approach. Frisk, how they have grown. Every year Asgore needs to remind himself that there will come a time for their child to leave and be part of the world they were in before discovering them. It tugs at his Soul painfully, but he must learn to accept it. Toriel, while he accepts that she refuses to be with him any longer, is living with him and the child as per Frisk’s request. They could certainly convince Toriel much more effectively than he could, but she sleeps in a separate room from him, as does Frisk. He is happy all the same, but still dreads that one day the violent Humans would break their wonderful albeit shaky bond. Asgore wakes every day in silent fear of finding his wife a pile of dust in his house, and their sweet noble child another coffin in the Castle’s basement. Shaking his head, he wills the thought away and focuses on the positives of the situation instead.

The assassination attempts have quieted down somewhat in the past few months, and several anti-Monster activist groups have been dealt with by the Human government. As a result, more and more Humans have been coming to move in with the Monsters in Monster Town. Their region, named after the mountain, has certainly grown larger thanks to that. But since it means a lot to him that Humans find their place safe and enjoyable enough to stay in, he has developed a sort of welcoming for them by visiting their home to be the first to greet them and see how they are faring on their first day. It’s that, and he is still silently worried about attacks from inside. No one inspects passersby or newcomers when they enter Monster Town, as they do not like the feeling of being trapped or under guard, because that’s exactly what they strive to escape from in the first place. It isn’t disguised as a friendly visit, as his concern and joy in visiting new Humans are genuine, and he often asks about this until Toriel cuts him off.

It doesn’t take long for the King to cross the marketplace towards the Mountain’s base, greeting a few of the town’s locals with a friendly smile and nod along the way. As he finds himself near the base of the Mountain again, he takes a sharp turn and goes to a sweets stand he knows Frisk frequently goes to. A fine selection of Human and Monster made sweets would make any child stop by to buy their favorite treat. He is sure the new Human would love to try some Cinnamon Bunnies, and perhaps some Monster Candy, too. The goat Monster smiles as he makes his way to the small stand, acknowledging the purple-colored bunny shopkeeper Asgore remembers as a resident of Snowdin.

“Good evening, your Kingliness,” the bunny greets. She makes a small smile as she adds, “A little treat for Frisk? Kid’s bought like three bisicles for them and Monster Kid this afternoon.”

“Good evening, Veronica,” Asgore chuckles. “No, it is not for Frisk. Oh, but speaking of a Human, would you mind showing me your Human-made treats, as well?”

“Human-made, huh?” Veronica repeats, a mischievous smile crossing her face. “You got a secret other human child keepin’ from us, your Majesty?”

“No, no, not at all,” the King chuckles in spite of the teasing tone in the bunny Monster’s voice. “We have a human guest coming by our home tomorrow for lunch, you see. He is quite young, from what I can tell.”

“Ooh, a visitor, up there?” The bunny’s ears twitched at the opportunity of gossip. “A new friend for Frisk, then?”

“I am sure, yes,” Asgore assures. “But, it is also my way of seeing that the child is well. He is… alone, and new to Monster Town.”

“You really do have a thing for kids, don’t you, your Majesty?” Veronica asks before she could stop herself.

“It’s...” he trails off, eyes shining. “It gives me some peace, is all… if that makes sense.”

“Ah, my bad,” Veronica nods, a knowing look passing her features. “All right, your Majesty, let me see what Nikki and I have in the back.” 

* * *

 

When Asgore turns and disappears from his sight, he closes the door and walks to the kitchen. Putting the leftover sandwiches on the fridge as he eats another one, he sticks the paper with the King’s address on the fridge door with a magnet. He quickly takes a shower after his little dinner, and ends up lying in bed, goofy smile and bright eyes at the thought of spending more time with Monsters. Lunch with the King and his family, huh? He’s moving pretty fast for someone new to the town. As much as he wants to know more about Asgore’s family, though he still refuses to look inside the background files given to him. Maybe someday, if he’s completely puzzled by a local’s personality, but even then he would think it’s too privy and disrespectful. Just figuring out a person by spending time with them, actually talking and bonding with them… The thought keeps making him feel fluttery.

Ah, but his mind simply cannot allow his happiness to last. He is quickly reminded of how he has to leave them after this short vacation is over, when the multiverse essence has been done and dealt with. He doesn’t want to, but Libra cannot disobey the Director’s orders, or the Zodiac’s only important rule. With that heavy thought in mind, he sighs and turns to his side, snuggling a pillow as he wills himself to sleep.


	4. Awkward Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Libra might have just set himself up for another rough day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm a day late... I hate it.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this unexpectedly feelsy and fluff-filled chapter. :D

Waking up was… a thing, today. He’s been tossing and turning all throughout the night, dirty clothes causing discomfort as well as the thoughts that plagued him before his sleep. His back and arms ache from the battle yesterday, eliciting pain every time he moved around too much. This is the first time in a long time that he’s woken up cranky, to say the least. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he pulls the bedside drawer open to check his music player. It’s only a quarter past six. If he remembers correctly, he fell asleep a little past eleven.

A sigh escapes his lips, he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so he makes his way to the bathroom for yet another shower. Clothes off, he steps into the small room and draws the curtain back. Adjusting the temperature of the shower, Libra sighs when the warm water begins to soothe his aching muscles, only to hiss in slight pain as it cascades down his back.

“What the–” he grumbles, reaching behind him. His eyes narrow a bit when he feels a thin, long cut from his shoulder blade down to the middle of his back that he thinks isn’t too deep. Why didn’t it bleed last night, then? Shrugging, he bears the light sting and continues his shower.

About an hour later, Libra has finished eating breakfast and is putting the clean dishes away. It’s almost half-past seven now and, thinking to brighten his day a bit considering he didn’t wake up on the best of terms, he decides to take a walk. Nothing like being on one’s feet to get the energy going after a hefty meal, right?

Putting on his jacket, he heads out, locking the door behind him as he is greeted by an early morning breeze. A delighted smile crosses the young man’s face when he turns to see that there are already people out in the open, either jogging for fitness or walking to explore. Feeling a little better already, he climbs down the small set of stairs and takes a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of dew from the greenery around him.

“Here’s hoping today gets better,” he whispers, nodding to himself before walking down the sidewalk. He remembers it leading to the town’s marketplace, and he could definitely peruse through a couple of stores before heading over to the King’s place for lunch.

“Oh, that’s right!” a gasp escapes him. He is going to have lunch with the King and Queen of Monsters today, and he has yet to think of any present to give them. How inconsiderate! He mentally chides himself, quick but heavier footsteps thumping along the sidewalk before making a quick turn. He doesn’t hear the other sets of footsteps from the other side until a hard, thin figure runs into him, quite literally knocking him off his feet. The young man gasps yet again as he falls down, landing on his behind with a pained grunt. He doesn’t take notice of the two forms towering over him as he rubs his tushy while drawing out an apologetic sigh.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I wasn’t looki–”

Two sickly thin hands grip on his shoulders, making him squeak as they lift him off the ground with ease. Steadying his feet, he takes a few deep breaths, the hands on his shoulders not loosening their grip.

“HUMAN,” a loud, cheery voice announces. He winces at the loud volume, but the speaker continues. “ARE YOU OKAY? I AM SORRY! IT WAS FOOLISH OF ME TO NOT LOOK AT WHERE I WAS GOING. I HOPE MY STRONG BONES HAVE NOT INJURED YOU! HUMANS ARE SUCH SOFT AND SQUISHY CREATURES, AFTER ALL.”

“Bones…?” Confusion seeps into his mind for a bit. Looking at the hands holding him, however, he finds that they _are_ just bones. Phalanges connecting to the ulna and radius, all leading up to even more bone, seem to move without muscles at all. The skeleton towers over him, almost two feet, with a confident grin on his face. If his state of mind was any better, he would have found a skeleton wearing a red headband, a pink tank-top with the words _“Cool Dude”_ written in, presumably, his own handwriting and a pair of shorts ridiculous and funny. But now, he is simply even more confused.

“Wha–” Libra attempts to speak, but the skeleton talks over him again.

“HELLO, HUMAN!” he greets, voice as enthusiastic and cheery as before. “YOU’RE A NEW FACE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. DID YOU JUST MOVE IN?”

“I… yes, I did.” Libra answers, still unable to move from the skeleton’s grip. Noticing this, the tall Monster releases his shoulders and puts his hands over his pelvis. How he manages to even wear shorts like that, Libra would rather not know. Soothing the dull ache on his shoulders, the young man casts a small smile towards the two Monsters’ directions. The other one, about a few inches shorter than the skeleton, is a redheaded fish Monster with greenish-blue scales, grinning at him from ear to ear. An eye-patch covers her left eye, the other gold observing and seemingly sizing him up. Her yellow fangs are quite intimidating, but Libra doesn’t show how it affects him, that would be rude.

“Fresh meat, huh?” she questions. “The name’s Undyne, Chief of Police and Head Faculty of the town Academy’s PE Department. Sounds lame, but I get to bench press seven children, so that’s fun.”

“Um… yes, well…” Libra doesn’t have an answer for that.

“IT IS VERY NICE TO MEET YOU, HUMAN!” the tall skeleton exclaims happily once more. “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! UNDYNE’S ASSISTANT TRAINER AT THE ACADEMY, AND I ALSO WORK AT THE TOWN’S NURSING HOME FOR THE ELDERLY. THEY NEED SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME TO LOOSEN THEIR BONES AND GET THEM SHAKING! AND THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN MATCH THE GREATNESS OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

“I’m sure,” the young man chuckles awkwardly, nodding at him almost automatically. He is not in the mood for socializing right now, and Papyrus, he thinks the skeleton’s name is, with his loud voice isn’t making him feel better.

“I apologize for interrupting your morning exercise,” he begins as he takes a step forward, “but I should really stay out of your way. I’m just headed to the market for some–”

“What a coincidence, punk!” Undyne suddenly beams. Libra raises an eyebrow.

_Punk,_ the young man repeats in his mind, finding the term rather unpleasant to the ear. As if he’s done anything to offend the fish Monster. Perhaps that how she calls everyone? He lets it slide, seeing as she looks nice… maybe. Undyne slings an arm over Papyrus’s shoulders and pulls him closer, her head just reaching his jaw and still grinning at Libra.

“Paps and I were _just_ about to get some ingredients for his cooking lesson today!” she explains, tightening her grip on Papyrus as he moves to say something. “We have a lot to cook today, Paps, so we need to shop early to get the best ones!”

“OH, I SEE! Papyrus nods in understanding, closing his sockets (Libra blinks at the impossibility of that from a normal skeleton) and humming thoughtfully. “THE FRESHER THE INGREDIENTS, THE MORE DELICIOUS THE RESULT, I SEE! GREAT THINKING, UNDYNE!”

“This gal’s not just all muscle, Paps,” she flexes her free arm in spite of her statement, biceps bulging from the fit shirt she’s wearing. “But that’s not saying I don’t have ‘em.” The redhead turns to look at Libra again, who is now getting suddenly uncomfortable with the whole situation. He hasn’t expected encountering Monsters other than Asgore yet, and while this is more positive in the long run, he isn’t quite ready for this pair to tag along with him.

He doesn’t seem to have a choice, though, when Undyne grabs his arm and tugs him along with Papyrus.

“A-ah, wait!” he exclaims, but neither of them hear him over the sound of Papyrus’s strange laughter and Undyne’s words.

“Come on, you two!” she barks out, voice as loud as Papyrus for a moment before settling back to her more normal tone. “We’re wasting daylight! I don’t wanna run out of that special mushroom Alphys keeps babbling about! She tells me they only have it in the mornings, so let’s go!”

And with that, he resigns to his fate with a defeated sigh. They don’t even know who he is yet, but they’re already dragging him along with them. The very least he could think about this situation is that he won’t get hurt, as these two seem to be friendly and willing to spend time with total strangers like him.

Who knows? Maybe his day could get better yet.

 

* * *

 

Libra ends up not buying anything for the King still, as the two Monsters with him are too busy dragging him around stall after stall. Bargaining for ingredients, haggling prices, getting first dibs on fresh stock; honestly, the Zodiac already feels like he’s spent an entire day with these two. But in reality, they’ve only been in the marketplace for about an hour, which is really saying something considering the amount of bags Papyrus is already carrying.

Undyne is currently bargaining with a human salesperson about store-made pasta or sauce for said pasta. Libra isn’t listening too much. He has also realized that he left all his money at home, mentally chiding whatever common sense he has left for that inconvenient move. He hears Undyne chuckling, and he looks up to see her approaching Papyrus a few steps from him.

“All right,” Undyne sighs, carrying two paper bags of the ingredients she and Papyrus would need. She looks at Papyrus with a triumphant grin and says, “I got what we need, let’s get these to yours and get cooking!”

“EXCELLENT, UNDYNE!” the loud skeleton responds. “YOU REALLY ARE THE BEST AT BARGAINING!”

“With charms like these, no one can resist!” She’s laughing, but Libra could hear the confidence in her voice. He has to admit that she bargains quite reasonably, and she actually saved them quite a bit because of that. He doesn’t notice her calling him until a bony hand touches his shoulder. He jerks at the contact, brown eyes suddenly wide as they look at the tall figure.

“HUMAN, ARE YOU OKAY?” Papyrus asks. “UNDYNE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU WISH TO COME WITH US TO OBSERVE OUR AMAZING CULINARY PROWESS. IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET TO KNOW YOU MORE, TOO!”

“Oh…” Relaxing a bit, he lets his shoulders sag down a bit. Why is he so tense today? These two have been nothing but kind, so it’s only natural for him to be nice in return. Smiling, he lets out a deep breath before nodding.

“Sure,” he answers. “I would love to come over, provided I’m not causing you trouble or anything.”

Undyne scoffs, “Yeah, right. Any sign of trouble, and I’m putting you in the timeout chair.”

“Timeout chair?” he repeats, confusion on his face yet again.

“Never mind that!” she says. “Let’s get walking! We have a lot of stuff to cook, Paps, so I hope you’re not tuckered out just yet!”

“ME? TIRED?” Papyrus laughs in that strange laugh of his again. “NYEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS’S ENGERY _NEVER_ RUNS DRY! COME, HUMAN! LET US GO BACK TO MY HOUSE SO I CAN SHOW YOU THE WONDERS OF COOKING PASTA!”

“Ooh, sounds good,” Libra is genuinely interested now. He loves pasta! Well, pasta that he’s eaten back at the Center, anyway. He wonders how different the pasta here tastes compared to the ones they have. He takes notice of how many bags the lanky skeleton is carrying before making a small frown. He’s carrying far too many bags in each arm for his own good, and he’s surprised none of them have fallen off.

“Hey, let me have some of that,” he takes two of the five bags he deems the lightest of the bunch in each hand, smiling at the confused-looking skeleton. “I don’t want you to carry all these by yourself. If I’m going to your house, then I might as well help you out. It’s the least I could do after your hospitality.”

Papyrus grins at him, nodding cheerfully before they all start their walk to where he presumes the skeleton’s house is. The two Monsters chatter animatedly as Libra observes and answers silently with a shake or nod of his head any time a question is directed at him. These two seem to get along quite well, and seeing them fool around makes him feel a bit happy, despite the worries that they might mess up the ingredients inside. He has no idea what everything Undyne has bought, but he thinks there might be fragile ones there.

“Where is Papyrus’s home, if you don’t mind me asking?” Libra asks after a short respite of silence. They are currently walking towards the base of the mountain, where he spots a store selling a variety of sweets. A purple-furred rabbit has her arms crossed over her chest as she waits for a couple of human kids to pick out their treats. They don’t stop there, and continue along the path towards the mountain.

“EXCELLENT QUESTION, HUMAN!” the skeleton responds with glee. He has yet to look at him, still focused on the road ahead. He could feel the smile on his face, though, and that makes Libra involuntarily smile, too. “MY HOME IS NOT FAR, LOCATED JUST A LITTLE WAYS UP THE MOUNTAIN. UNDYNE’S HOME IS FARTHER, AND SO’S THE KING’S! THEY LIVE ON THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE MOUNTAIN, AFTER ALL!”

“Got that right,” Undyne whistles, head tilted upwards as she looks at the mountain. “Hey, you can see it here! Human, take a look!”

And so he does. Looking towards the direction of the mountain, he spots a house almost levitating off the face of the mountain. A single, large column extends from the base of the house, diagonally descending towards the mountain’s surface. Their home, while not that big, is definitely high up in the air. It really looks like a place for where royalty should live in these modern times.

“Wow,” Libra mutters, simply awestruck at the sight. “I can’t believe I get to have lunch there later…”

“What?!” Undyne’s sudden cry pulls him out of his musings, looking towards him as he blinks in surprise. “You’re having lunch with the King, at _his_ place, no less?!”

“The King came by last night,” he clarifies. “He asked me if I would be up for lunch tomorrow, and gave me directions to his home. It honestly just says, _go to the house that’s on top of the mountain_ , but it was a bit vague.”

“WELL, THEIR HOUSE IS THE HIGHEST BUILT,” Papyrus supplies. “I BELIEVE HE WAS SURE THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SPOT IT ON YOUR OWN, HUMAN.”

“Sure,” he shrugs.

“Punk, you’re lucky!” the fish Monster enthuses. “Just don’t cause any trouble or I’ll have to arrest you.”

“I promise I won’t,” he says. He can’t say for the other pressing matter that has caused him to be sent here in the first place, but he would do his best to avoid an encounter near the King’s living area, that’s for sure. The conversation stops there as the three of them finally stand at the base of the mountain. A large gate blocks their passage, barred tightly and manned by an intimidating pair in black hooded jackets. He follows the two as they go towards them.

“Ah… Undyne–” “–and Papyrus,” the two says, one after the other. Libra notices the white snouts poking out of their hood, and concludes that they are animal-like Monsters much like Undyne. They look like dogs, maybe, if he looks at them carefully.

“Sup lovebirds,” Undyne greets, smirking at her teasing tone. “Glad I didn’t catch you doing anything unethical at work today.”

“Undyne, please, we–” “–would never do that.”

“Right,” she just shrugs. “Anyway, me and Paps got a visitor with us.” She waves over for Libra to step forward, and he so he does. The two hooded figures in front of him seem to stare at him for a long time, before they start to speak again.

“A human, is it?”

“Unexpected, but…”

“Human, hold out–” “–your hands, please.”

“Okay…” Libra sets the two bags on the counter between him and the two Monsters before holding out his hands. The two take hold, one for each of them. Ever so silently, they lower their head and, as ridiculous as it sounds, start to sniff his hands. After a while, they bring it up to their heads and motions for him to pet them. He silently complies, giggling at their delighted panting.

“Hey!” Undyne suddenly growls. She cuts off their pet time, taking Libra’s hands away from them. Her good eye is half-glaring at them. “You were only supposed to get his scent. Leave your kinks outta this, you two!”

“Um, what?” as much as he wants to get an answer, he also wants to leave it at that. A faint blush spreads across his cheeks before he begins patting his hands on his pants hurriedly. He takes the bags as Undyne tells the two guards to open the gate, but not without a strict telling about their apparent _kinks_ in the workplace.

“DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM,” Papyrus says as they cross the gate. “DOGAMY AND DOGARESSA SIMPLY LOVE BEING PETTED. THEY LOVE IT SO MUCH, SOMETIMES THEY DO IT TO EACH OTHER…” he mutters the last part, quietly unlike his usual loudness while his eyes narrow slightly.

“O-oh,” Libra could only nod, the blush that was disappearing suddenly back on his face. “I see…” He hears footsteps coming after them, and Undyne appears shortly behind them.

“Hey, sorry about that,” she says. “Those two can get a bit carried away with their pet-craze.” The young man just nods in understanding, but he doubts if he wants to pet those two ever again.

He doesn’t know what to expect, but from what he can see, there are only a few houses here. It decorates and blends with the mountain’s environment well, even if they are scattered a bit. The Monsters prefer their space, it seems. A few of them look like dog houses, but they go nowhere near those. They stop in front of a two-storey house, complete with a balcony on the second floor and everything. It is strangely decorated to that like the season is Christmas, but Libra doesn’t say anything about it. It looks cozy, at least, far better than his quarters back at the Center.

“WELCOME TO MY HOME, HUMAN!” Papyrus announces as he opens the door. Confirming his thoughts, the house _is_ cozy. It isn’t stuffy, and the overall layout seems spacious to fit many people inside.

They all walk inside and Undyne closes the door with a light kick. Immediately greeting them is the kitchen, which is across the front door and where Papyrus first speeds off to. As he and Undyne follow the energetic skeleton, he takes note of the rock that’s placed on a table beside the wall near the front door covered in sprinkles and glitter.

_Monsters are weird,_ he thinks. But weird in a fun, refreshing way, he corrects himself mentally. He’s grown accustomed to many strange things throughout his short time being alive, and this doesn’t even cross the list. The domestic life is something he would need to personally get used to, but this change of pace is something he would definitely welcome if he is presented a permanent opportunity. They unload the ingredients on the kitchen table while Papyrus busily prepares all the utensils needed to make pasta.

“So, you never told us your name, punk.” Undyne suddenly starts as Libra puts down some of the mushrooms they’ve bought earlier. He freezes suddenly, muscles tense at the mention of that subject. He doesn’t know what to say to them at all. He’s only been out for a few times, and in those times, he’s never had to reveal his name to others. Mostly this is because he has company. But now, alone as he is and socializing with people, he doesn’t really know if he should say his name or not, and it’s making him internally panic.

Telling them his name could have consequences in the long run, and the uncertainty of those consequences is what’s making him hesitate. These Monsters should never get themselves involve in the business of STARS, but he guesses that it’s already too late considering how Monster Magic is infused to their weapons now. But should he reveal his name, or should he make up an alias, something to cover his identity so they don’t have to be tied to him after his mission is over?

In the brief few seconds of his hesitation, he doesn’t notice the fish lady glaring disapprovingly at his silence. That is, until a smack on the head brought him back to reality.

“Hey punk!” she roars. “It’s rude to not answer a question!”

“S-sorry,” he winces at both the loud volume and the ache in his head. “What was your question again?” She stares at him for a long time, irritation fading to indifference present on her face. With a huff, she turns back and grabs an apron from one of the hooks, not looking at him.

“Whatever,” she grumbles. “I’ll just keep calling you punk, then. That’s much easier to remember.”

“UNDYNE, ARE WE GOING TO LET THE HUMAN WATCH US COOK?” Papyrus cuts the uneasy tension forming between the two of them. He lets out a breath, silently thanking Papyrus for his timely rescue, even if he seems to have no clue of the situation.

“N-no, Papyrus, it’s okay,” Libra makes an effort to give a small smile. “I don’t want to be a distraction to you guys. Do you have a bathroom I could use?”

“OF COURSE,” the skeleton says, pointing up. “SECOND FLOOR, LAST DOOR ON THE RIGHT NEAR THE BALCONY.”

Nodding, Libra excuses himself, glancing apologetically at Undyne and hoping that he could talk to her about resolving the minor issue later. He heads up the set of stairs, and goes to the door Papyrus has directed. It’s quite small compared to the bathroom in his apartment, but really he just needs a place to think. He still isn’t sure if telling them his name could mean horrible consequences for them later on.

He spends a good ten minutes inside the bathroom before he reluctantly decides to come out and climb back down. He sees Undyne halfway up the stairs as he walks towards it. She glances up to him, frowning, and he sighs internally at that.

“Papyrus was getting worried,” she says flatly. “If this wasn’t his house, punk–”

“Libra,” he blurts out before he could stop himself.

“What?”

“It’s…” the young man takes a moment to recollect himself before he speaks again. “My name is Libra.”

There is no going back now. He told them his name, and in truth, he doesn’t really care. He absolutely gets why he worries about things in the future, as he is not going to be staying here permanently, but seeing Undyne so upset with him, he couldn’t bring himself to lie. These two could be his first potential friends outside the Center, and he doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. So, he resolves his will to be truthful to these people as much as he can without revealing his true purpose. Of course, that would be difficult considering that he may very well be attacked at any time, but the multiverse essence takes time to manifest those things. He has plenty of time to rush off before they start attacking.

“Libra,” Undyne mutters, as if testing it out in her mouth. She hums a bit, looking off in a different direction, before smirking back at Libra. “Nah, punk sounds better.”

“I’m sure it does…” he smiles back.

She doesn’t look or sound upset anymore, and Libra breathes a sigh of relief. He smiles a little more now, coming down the stairs as Undyne retreats back to the kitchen, too.

“Would he mind if I just sit here?” Libra asks before Undyne enters the kitchen. She casually waves him off, a silent okay, he guesses. It would be awkward if it really means otherwise. So he sits at the edge of the green sofa, in front of the television, with nothing but his mind to keep him company.

The sound of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen almost makes Libra want to go there, but he eventually decides against it, opting for the more comforting stillness of the living room. It’s such a big house, he ponders, that Papyrus probably doesn’t live here alone. He isn’t living with Undyne, as he remembers the redhead mentioning that this is _his_ house, and not _theirs_. There’s also the fact that there are two other rooms upstairs that are probably bedrooms. The first one near the stairs is Papyrus’s, unless the many police tapes in front of the door are signs meant to mislead others. The other doesn’t have any signs on it, but he assumes that it’s another bedroom. This whole house couldn’t possibly belong to Papyrus alone, right?

An hour or so later, after much mayhem and chaos in the kitchen, Undyne calls Libra and tells him that the food is ready. To say that she looks like a mess is an understatement, to say the least. She’s covered head to toe in white sauce, and he could tell that some of them were there for a reason and not just on accident.

“Did you guys have a food fight?” he asks as he enters the kitchen. He blinks. “Yep, you definitely had a food fight.”

The entire kitchen is littered with discarded ingredient packets, sauce is on the walls and floor, and in the middle of it all Papyrus is holding a big pot of what Libra assumes to be the product of their efforts. He doesn’t have a single stain on him.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus poses triumphantly, holding the pot between his arm and ribs as the other lands on his sternum in a fist. “UNDYNE HAS YET TO REALIZE THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS UNMATCHED IN CULINARY ARTILLERY!”

“Nah,” Undyne scoffs jokingly. “You just know how dodge better! Like a freakin’ weenie!”

She laughs, nudging his shoulder, and Libra finds himself giggling somewhat as Papyrus joins along.

“I’m gonna get cleaned up,” the redhead says. “Paps, you and Libra clean this mess up! If it’s not done by the time I get back, I’m giving you the wonder hug!”

“The what?”

“YOU SHALL NOT BE GIVING ANY OF YOUR VICIOUS WONDER HUGS TODAY,” the skeleton proclaims. “THE HUMAN, ERR, LIBRA AND I SHALL CLEAN THIS PLACE SWIFTLY!”

“Right,” Libra agrees. “But what in the world’s a wonder hug?” At this, Undyne grins wickedly, her eye seemingly glowing at the mention of her special move. Her fingers wiggle threateningly as she approaches to reach him.

“Wanna find out, punk?” she asks. With a nervous laugh, Libra backs off a step, and she sticks her tongue out at him.

“Weenie,” she teases. “I’ll be back, you babies! Better not cry while I’m gone!”

And with that, she’s gone up the stairs to the bathroom. Libra hears the clicking of the bathroom door before Papyrus pulls him along to clean his and Undyne’s mess. He seems generally happy that he and Undyne are getting along, and Libra is also glad at that.

“She’s a bit rough around the edges,” Libra comments as he scrubs some of the sauce off the wall. “But I think she’s a nice person overall.”

“UNDYNE IS ONE OF MY BESTEST FRIENDS,” Papyrus says. “SHE HAS TAUGHT ME MANY THINGS BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND, AND SHE SHOWS HER LOVE WITH LOTS OF WONDER HUGS… THOUGH I SUPPOSE UP ON THE SURFACE, IT SHOULD BE CALLED A SUPLEX.”

“Oh.”

“YES.”

“Um… glad I didn’t ask her to try that,” he laughs awkwardly. “But regular hugs are nice.”

“INDEED THEY ARE, HUMAN.”

“Papyrus, you know you can call me Libra, right?”

“IT’S A FORCE OF HABIT,” Papyrus admits. “EVEN WITH MY FIRST HUMAN BEST FRIEND, FRISK, IT HAS TAKEN ME A WHILE BEFORE I COULD CALL THEM BY THEIR NAME.”

“Ah, I see.” He hums in understanding. He continues to scrub along the walls until no sight of the white sauce can be seen. Papyrus cleans extremely quickly, as by the time he was finished with the walls, Papyrus was already done with the floors and dishes. Well, it gives them more time to eat, at least.

Sometime later, Undyne comes down dressed in a more casual style, blue sweatpants and black shirt. Her hair is still in a ponytail, too. Libra is setting the plates on the table as Papyrus fills it with a heavy serving of the creamy pasta. He goes off to change for a bit, coming back with his _battle body_ , as he calls it. The armor looks pretty good on him, actually, and the scarf is a great addition to his style. Libra tells him so, and he is surprised to see _actual sparkles_ come forth from his eye sockets.

“AFTER ALL THESE YEARS,” Papyrus sighs. “MY BATTLE BODY IS STILL A POPULAR TREND!”

“’Course, Paps,” Undyne nods as she takes a bite of the pasta. “Hey, this is actually really good!” She looks to Libra for agreement, and he nods enthusiastically.

“Yeah,” the young man says. “To be honest, it’s probably the best pasta I’ve had in, well, a long time.” The sparkles in the skeleton’s eye sockets shone brighter, and any more and Libra thinks he might start producing glitter from them.

“So,” Libra starts, taking another small bite of pasta. He swallows before speaking. “I’ve seen the sign to your room, Papyrus. But, is there someone else who lives here with you?”

“WHY YES,” he answers, slurping up the pasta through his mouth. The Zodiac actually actively tries not to stare because he has no idea where the food goes to after the skeleton consumes it. “I LIVE IN THIS HOUSE WITH MY OLDER BROTHER, SANS.”

“Where is the lazybones, Paps?” Undyne asks, pointing a fork in his direction. “Haven’t seen him all day. Is he up in his room?”

“OH, NO, NOT AT ALL!” Papyrus answers happily. “IN FACT, HE WAS THE ONE WHO WOKE _ME_ UP TODAY!”

“Whoa, seriously?” the redhead mumbles, as if she’s seen Papyrus grow another head. Libra switches his glance from her to Papyrus and back, before thinking of asking the question bubbling up inside him.

“Does Sans… not usually do that?” he asks carefully. He doesn’t even know of the guy, so he has to keep his questions light.

“Sans has been an absolute pain in the ass way back in the Underground,” Undyne answers. “When we got out to the Surface, I thought he’d be too lazy to change.”

“I THOUGHT THE SAME, REALLY.” Papyrus admits none too casually. “BUT AFTER FOUR YEARS ON THE SURFACE, I THINK HE’S FINALLY STARTING A NEW LEAF!”

“That sounds good,” Libra muses, twirling the fork around before taking a bigger bite from the pasta. The rich, creamy flavored combined with the spices and mushroom just makes him want to melt. He wishes he could eat like this forever, but that would be rude and abusive.

“So, where do you think he is?” the young man asks after a moment. Papyrus brings a finger up and opens his mouth, as if to say something, before locking his jaw back in a thoughtful manner.

“I DON’T KNOW,” he mutters.

“Well, I’d be glad to meet him soon,” he says. He doesn't realize the impending regret at his choice of words, too caught up in the wonderful taste of the pasta. He taps his foot on the ground, and he feels something squishy underneath his shoe before a loud, booming noise resounds from underneath the table.

He doesn’t hear the deep bout of laughter as he was too busy looking up the ceiling. The fork has reached new heights. He hopes someone could get it down, just like the frantic, panicked beating of his heart.


	5. Miscommunication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone keeps dancing around words and topics... Meanwhile, Libra is still not having the greatest of times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter. Please enjoy~

His ears are still ringing. He couldn’t hear Papyrus or Undyne scolding and shouting profanities respectively at apparently another person in the room. When had there been another person in the room? His heart is still pounding, practically bouncing in his chest at the moment. It kind of hurts, really. What was that sound, anyway? He doesn’t remember having anything below him before they started eating. He’s hyperventilating, he realizes, but he can’t stop. His body doesn’t want to stop, his breaths are still frantic and it’s not slowing down. He doesn’t like this, there’s something wrong here. He needs to get out, he needs to _breathe_. He has to leave, but his legs are frozen. He can’t handle the ringing in his ears, the muffled voices of Papyrus and Undyne, as well as a deep voice from an unknown source he still has yet to find. Make the ringing stop!

Libra remains frozen in his place until Undyne places a hand on his shoulder. He flinches, breathing hitching as he does, and he catches the worried look on the lanky skeleton’s face before the other’s hand squeezes comfortingly.

“Calm down,” Undyne instructs, her voice quiet but firm. “You’re okay, Libra. It’s over.”

The young man discovers that he’s trembling, looking down on his hands as they shake beyond his control. Why is this happening? This shouldn’t be happening. There’s nothing wrong, he wants to believe that nothing is wrong. It was just a loud sound, no one is hurt. As much as he wills himself to believe it, though, he can’t stop the trembling. His hands slowly quiet down as he follows the redhead’s instruction, but his body still trembles slightly from time to time. All through it, though, Undyne is quietly giving him encouraging words, which is helping him a lot.

For a while, everything is quiet. He can breathe again. The ringing has finally stopped, and his heart isn’t trying to leap out of his chest anymore. He could almost feel calm again.

Almost.

“SANS,” Papyrus’s loud voice makes Libra wince, and the skeleton tries to lower his voice a bit out of worry. “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU’VE NEVER DONE THOSE KINDS OF JOKES BEFORE!”

“Papyrus is right,” Undyne mutters. The Zodiac appreciates the woman’s consideration with his current situation, as well as for helping him a little earlier. “That little _prank_ wasn’t funny. The whole mountain probably heard that.”

A long pause spreads across the room, letting the tense atmosphere settle once again. Libra takes notice of how Undyne keeps glancing at him with a questioning eye. Is she asking if he’s all right? He nods slightly, and it brings a bit of relief to her and Papyrus, who still hasn’t moved from his seat.

The fish Monster sighs, taking her hand off Libra’s shoulder. “All right, let’s just forget about that and… Damn it, Sans.” She hisses under her breath, frustration bubbling up inside her.

“HE LEFT AGAIN,” Papyrus whispers, as much as whispering allows with his voice, at least. “HE ALWAYS DOES THIS. I WOULD HAVE HOPED HE AT LEAST APOLOGIZED BEFORE DOING SO…”

“Forget it, Paps,” the redhead sits back down on her chair before fixing the young man with a scrutinizing look. “Hey, you okay? You stopped crying, at least.”

“I-I’m… f-fine,” he stutters, pausing to take a deep breath and slowly exhale. He glances at Undyne, minute surprise on his face, before shifting his gaze back down on his hands, opening and closing them in tune with his breathing. He was crying? Why? Why on Earth did something like that cause him such a reaction? Confusion, fear, and a slew of other emotions bombard his mind and heart at the moment, but he remains, _forces_ himself to remain calm.

“What…” another deep breath. “What… happened?” At this, the redhead’s expression grows a tiny bit more worried.

“You… don’t know what happened?” Undyne asks slowly, as if trying to process the information herself. After a while, she shifts in her seat and asks, “You never had a panic attack before, have you?”

“N-no…” That explains it, he admits to himself. Apparently, it’s also enough for Undyne, too. She nods and simply smiles at him, recognition on her face.

“Yeah, thought so,” she says. “You looked like you had no idea what was going on. Lucky for you, I’ve got experience in handling stuff like that.”

She doesn’t say much, but Libra could guess that he isn’t the only one she’s seen in that state. It could very well be her, too, but he still doesn’t know her quite enough to know for sure. They sit there silently, the fork on the ceiling long forgotten until Papyrus speaks up again.

“HUMAN,” he pauses to correct himself. “UM, LIBRA, PLEASE FORGIVE MY BROTHER FOR HIS SILLY PRANK. HE JUST… DIDN’T KNOW?”

“It’s o-okay, Papyrus…” Libra attempts to comfort him with a small smile, looking back down afterwards. In a much quieter voice, he adds, “I didn’t know, too…” He has his hands clasped together over his lap, still refusing to look either of them in the eyes.

“I’m… sorry,” he mutters after another moment of quiet. “I made him leave…”

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” Undyne waves it off, but he feels like she’s only trying to reassure him. “Sans has been disappearing on us since the Underground, punk. He’s just a big weenie who can’t handle it when his jokes backfire on him.”

“SANS HAS NEVER MADE ANYONE FEEL BAD WITH HIS JOKES,” Papyrus pipes in, wearing a grin that looks a bit strained. “I’M SURE IF HE HAD KNOWN, HE WOULDN’T HAVE DONE SUCH A THING.”

“Where’d he even get that idea?” the fish Monster turns to the skeleton. “Last week, he got me late to a meeting with Asgore because he replaced my shower’s water with _ketchup_! It took me and Alphys like an hour to get that fixed.”

“HUMAN INTERNET VIDEOS ENTERTAIN HIM AND… INSPIRE HIM, I SUPPOSE,” Papyrus explains, narrowing his eye sockets with a hint of accusation in the last part. “SOMETIMES, SANS SHOWS ME THESE VIDEOS. MOST OF THE TIME, THEY ARE SAFE AND HARMLESS, BUT THEY ARE FILLED WITH AWFUL PUNS AND PRANKS.”

“Your brother needs a new hobby,” Undyne grumbles, mind still stuck on the ketchup prank. “He’s got too much time on his hands he could be using to get things done.”

“TRUE…” the skeleton agrees, humming in thought. “STILL, I HOPE HE HASN’T GONE FAR… HE STILL HAS TO APOLOGIZE TO OUR NEW FRIEND.”

“O-oh, it’s… okay, really,” Libra says, putting his hands up near his chest. “Come on, I’m fine now! It was just a harmless prank…”

“Harmless or not, he still owes you an apology,” Undyne cuts in, glaring at the front door across the kitchen. “He’s gonna have to come home sooner or later, and when he does…!” She forms a fist with her hand and punches her other palm, the slap of skin echoing quietly in the small space. The maniacal grin on her face says it all, but Libra feels that she wouldn’t hurt him. He gives her a small smile, something he hopes would assure her.

“It’s fine, really…” he insists. “I’ll just forget it happened, and if he wants to apologize, I’ll forgive him. It was all, honestly, a simple mistake.”

“You’re letting him down too easy,” Undyne huffs indignantly, but doesn’t put up any more of an argument. He knows that the two have been friends for a long time, and she recognizes his mistake. What she said was true, though, he is letting a stranger down too easy for causing that kind of reaction out of him. But this is Papyrus’s brother they are talking about, and if Papyrus says it was just an honest mistake, then he would believe that.

“Ah, it’s that time already?” Undyne asks aloud, grumbling and clicking her tongue. Libra looks over to see that she’s looking at her phone, lips pursing in a slight pout. “Papyrus, it’s almost noon. I need to get to the Academy.”

“AH, I ALMOST FORGOT!” Papyrus hurriedly stands up, dashing out of the kitchen and up his room. The young man hears the door slam close for a moment, and he looks to Undyne with a raised brow.

“Are you guys late?” he asks. She shoots him a half glare, and he chuckles silently at that, adjusting himself in his seat as the other moves to stand up.

“Look, we’re not the only ones getting late,” she says. “Don’t you have a lunch to get to, punk?”

Realization dawns on him, and he stands far too quickly for Undyne to chide him on it. He climbs the chair and braces himself, before jumping towards the fork on the ceiling. It’s finally free, his hand just barely able to grasp it before he lands back down safely. He takes a moment to regain his balance before putting the chair back under the table and putting the dishes in the sink. He turns to see the surprised look on the redhead’s face, she isn’t even hiding the look of suspicion she has with it.

“How’d a weenie like you jump that high?” Undyne asks. He shrugs, the cupboards suddenly looking so interesting.

“C-chairs,” he mutters, turning to the side as he tries to slink under the coat of his jacket. “And, you know, I do a lot of exercise…”

“Wha–”

“Well, I better get going!” Libra suddenly exclaims, walking over to Undyne and shaking her hand and speaking in a hurried fashion. “I wouldn’t want to be late for lunch with the King, right? Right! Nice to meet you two, I hope we can hang out again soon! Goodbye!” Before she asks him to explain anything else, he heads towards the front door. As he opens it, he spots Papyrus carrying a large backpack heading down the stairs.

“YOU’RE LEAVING ALREADY?” Papyrus asks.

“Yeah,” he nods in response. “I don’t want to upset the King by being late.”

“HOLD ON FOR A MOMENT,” the skeleton says. Blinking, Libra does so, holding the door open with a hand as Papyrus climbs down the stairs. He walks towards him and, surprisingly, wraps his arms around him tightly. The young man’s eyes widen even more when Papyrus begins to lift him off the ground, squeezing him more tightly. It’s already starting to hurt his ribs a bit.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OVER,” the tall Monster exclaims. “LET US HANG OUT AGAIN SOON, OKAY? DO NOT BE AFRAID TO APPROACH THE GREAT PAPYRUS IF YOU ARE EVER IN NEED OF A FRIEND!”

The Zodiac freezes at his words, but more in happiness than in shock. A friend, he actually called him a friend. His smile is so big he can feel his cheeks strain, but he doesn’t care because someone actually called him a friend. He thinks Undyne considers him a friend already, too, but he wants her to say it. He nods, beaming at the skeleton in front of him, who returns the grin back with equal measure.

“I will!” he exclaims. “I should go now, but I’ll come back soon!”

“SAY HI TO THE KING FOR ME,” Papyrus says as he waves the other off. As he turns, Libra sees Undyne reaching from behind the skeleton and pulling him down to her stomach, locking his neck in a grip that would have choked a human.

“Tell Fluffybuns to come by the Academy sometime, too!” she calls to him. He giggles at the ridiculous nickname, there is absolutely no way he would call a King by that, even if he is given special permission by the King himself. As cute as the nickname sounded, it feels too personal, but he waves at the laughing redhead as she vigorously rubs her fist on top of Papyrus’s skull.

“PLEASE DON’T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!”

 

* * *

 

Libra could see the house much more clearly now that he’s only a couple of turns away. It’s smaller than what one would expect where royalty would live, but it feels cozy and comforting outside. The feel of the sun hitting his form, combined with the light breeze the flitters through the trees makes it a nice and relaxing walk, a perfect remedy for his earlier panic.

As he starts to trek a small incline, he sees a figure walking in the distance towards his direction. He adjusts his glasses, light brown eyes slightly blinded by the rays of sunshine until he finally gets enough common sense to just put a hand over his face. The figure in front of him is wearing something blue and black, looks like a jacket, he thinks. An open jacket, he confirms, as the shirt underneath is an entirely different pattern; a diagonal cross extends from the middle, with top and bottom colored blue and left and right colored grey. Black shorts with white stripes on either side, and upon closer inspection, a pure white head. He blinks and looks again, this time noting that his legs are only pure bone, his feet protected by a blue pair of basketball sneakers.

He’s a skeleton, then… The only skeleton he knows is Papyrus, and that is definitely not him. The only other explanation that would make sense is this skeleton is Papyrus’s brother Sans. A feeling of dread suddenly lands in the pit of his stomach, twisting and turning it as his mind reignites his worries. He hasn’t heard what the three Monsters were talking about earlier, so he has no idea if he was upset with him or not. Is that even him, really? He doesn’t know many Monsters, but are Papyrus and Sans the only two skeleton Monsters to exist in the Underground? He doesn’t know, and frankly, he just wishes that Sans, if that is indeed him, isn’t mad at him for not laughing at his prank.

As the two begin to near each other, the skeleton in front of him starts to slow, narrow pinpricks of light in his otherwise void eye sockets gazing at him. He’s regarding him, Libra thinks, noting how the lights go down and up his form. A seemingly permanent grin is plastered on his face, and the young man can’t quite place it if he finds it creepy or interesting. They are a few feet apart when the skeleton begins to speak, the deep voice sparking a bit of recognition in Libra’s mind.

“Heya,” he says. “You’re the kid with Papyrus, right?”

“Um, yes…” Libra answers, trying not to look away. He feels so nervous right now. “A-are you… are you Sans, by any chance?”

“Yep,” he confirms. He pauses for a moment, the grin faltering somewhat before he says, “Uh, didn’t mean to alarm you back there… Thought my prank would’ve been a _blast_ , but I guess I _forked_ that up, huh?”

“No, it’s all… W-what?” the young man asks, chuckling awkwardly as the careful wordplay hits him. “That was so bad…” The pun is unexpected, and it made him feel uncomfortable that the situation he was in earlier is being so lightly talked about by the person who caused it in the first place. Still, he sees genuine sincerity and concern in those pinpricks, so he just shoves whatever negative feelings he has down again. He doesn’t want to make him feel bad.

“Hey, you’re laughin’, ain’t ya?” Sans says, hiding a chuckle of his own. Libra’s chuckling turns quiet as he simply regards the skeleton. He was laughing, and he’s doing his best not to let himself look or feel uncomfortable.

“I guess,” he mutters, smiling at the skeleton. Looking at him again, he realizes that Sans is a couple of inches taller than him. Perhaps it’s the shoes, or Monsters are just physically more advantageous than humans, but he suddenly feels so small now in their tight-knit region.

“Never caught your name, kid,” Sans’ grin reverts a little back to normal now, still tense but less forced. “Be a shame to leave it _up in the air_.”

“I’m Libra,” he says with a laugh. “It’s nice to meet you, Sans.”

“Put ‘er there,” the skeleton offers a hand to shake, his palm covered by black, fingerless gloves. “And, uh, no hard feelings about earlier, right?”

Libra shakes his head, “No.” The young man reaches up to take his offered hand. He’s stockier than Papyrus, it seems. He’s probably the equivalent of a big-boned human, but he has yet to see a skeleton for an actual human like that, so it’s a close enough comparison. He’s just glad that the skeleton isn’t mad at him, and he’s glad that they can put it behind them. As soon as he grips Sans’ hand…

_PPPPPPRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTT…_

The sound of compressed air being released fills the serene silence of the forest. Libra blinks once, twice. His shoulders begin to quiver as he bites his lip. His laughs came out silently, but anyone could tell that he’s laughing. He has his eyes closed as Sans gently slides his hand off his and place it inside his jacket pocket. The young man brings a hand up to hold his glasses in place, laughing some more before starting to calm down.

“The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick,” the skeleton chuckles, “it always works.”

“You just _had_ to do that,” he says, rolling his eyes but smiling brightly at him. He looks him in the eyes again, and they seem… wider, the lights. The skeleton shrugs, grin more natural-looking than before.

“Yeah, I had to,” he says. “It was all _fart_ of my secret plan.”

“Plan, what plan?” Libra chuckles some more. Oh, he’s never heard someone attempt to make a pun out of every situation, and the sheer confidence and charm in his voice just makes him want to laugh, even if it isn’t all that funny to begin with. He brings his hand back down and rests it over his stomach, a smile still on his face.

“A plan on makin’ new pals, actually,” the skeleton snickers, his shoulders shaking lightly at the sight of Libra enjoying his amusement. He clears his throat, again Libra pointedly ignores it and chalks it up to magic, before adding, “Uh, hope I _measured up_ to Pap and Undyne on that department…”

“Oh,” Libra’s expression quickly grows worried. “Don’t say that, Sans… You seem like a really cool person. And it’s okay, really. It was an honest mistake.” It really isn’t fine, but he just doesn’t want anyone to be upset over it, or him really.

“ _Ice_ of you to say that, thanks,” he chuckles, though he suddenly sounds a bit more somber. It surprises the Zodiac even more when his mouth moves to form a small smile, almost acting like lips itself. Malleable bones, he guesses. “Well, better get goin’. I’m still on break, but it’ll be over in like five minutes.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for keeping you, then!” Libra exclaims.

“Nah, it’s all good,” Sans assures him. “Besides, you got a lunch date with the King, don’t ya?” He points behind him with his thumb, gesturing to the suspended house of the King. “Went there for a bit to ask ol’ Gorey some things, says he’s really excited to meet ya. You should really get goin’ if you don’t wanna be late.”

“I will,” the young man nods. “So nice to meet you, Sans. I hope we can talk some more soon.”

“All right, and uh, same,” meeting the young man’s gaze, Libra sees it again. The lights in his sockets begin to glow brighter, and seem to grow a tiny bit wider than he originally saw. With that observation tucked in the back of his mind, they part ways, crossing paths as one heads down while the other goes up.

 

* * *

 

The perspective lied.

The house isn’t small, not by a long shot.

Sure, it could be small for someone over seven feet tall, but to the young man standing in front of the massive pair of doors, he feels so ridiculously small. He knows Asgore is the biggest of all Monsters, so he shouldn’t be surprised to find that his house fits to accommodate people of his physique. He still is, though, and he feels intimidated by the large structure looming over him. The shade covering the doorstep is a nice relief from the growing heat, but he doesn’t want to stand around for too long. He raps his knuckle on the door quickly, gaze down on the ground. It feels like his first day back at the Center, the first he could still remember. But before his line of thought reaches back on that memory, he hears heavy footsteps pound against hard stone. Libra reflexively gulps down his bubbling fear and repeatedly reminds himself that it’s just Asgore on the other side of the door. There is no need for him to be afraid now, as he already talked to the King prior to this moment.

Just like that, the door pulls open, and out comes Asgore. He’s wearing an inappropriately-timed pink Christmas sweater with the words _King of Cool_ knitted in front. It looks like he’s still in his pajamas too, if the long cotton pants and fluffy slippers are any indication of that. The goat Monster beams at the sight of him, and he feels his fears disappear in place of relief.

“Ah, young one!” the King says. “It is so nice to see you again. Please, come inside.”

“Thank you, your Majesty.” Libra steps through the doorway when Asgore steps aside, his head still lowered in mild embarrassment and awe. He still can’t believe that his second day is going to be spent having lunch with the King of Monsters. The very thought alone gives him a swell of pride, making him smile to himself.

“My wife and child are still at the Academy, but they will arrive shortly,” he says. “For now, it is just us. Are you comfortable with that?” A nod from him, and Asgore smiles as they continue on their way.

Asgore leads him to the spacious living room, faded yellow walls decorated by portraits of him and the Queen. He sees pictures of their adopted child Frisk, and how they’ve grown over the past four years since coming out of the Underground with their new family. He also sees a bunch more photos of them with Sans, Undyne, Papyrus, and many other Monsters he doesn’t quite recognize. Big family, he thinks. He sits down on a golden cushion, which thankfully isn’t made of gold, on the purple sofa while Asgore heads to a different direction.

“Would you like a cup of tea, err…” Asgore trails off for a moment, and Libra realizes that he has yet to give the King his name.

“O-oh, it’s Libra, your Majesty,” he says. The King smiles and nods at this.

“Libra, would you like a cup of tea?” he asks again, this more chipper.

“I would,” he answers, moving to stand up. “Perhaps I should go help you with…”

“Child, no,” he chuckles, putting a hand up in response. “You are my guest! Please, allow me. I am pleased to know that you are resting while I prepare us some wonderful tea and lunch.”

“Um, sure,” Libra moves back to the cushion, adjusting his place until he finds a spot most comfortable. “But please, call me if you need any help!”

“Thank you for your offer, Libra,” the King smiles before leaving the room entirely. Libra is left alone for the moment, his eyes roaming the many decorations and furniture, familiarizing himself with the area. He only waits for a few minutes at best before he hears the sound of a kettle whistling a few rooms away. He later sees Asgore carrying a tray over to the coffee table, setting it down before sitting on the couch opposite of the sofa. The scent of tea fills his nose, and it mixes with the heavenly scent of cinnamon and butterscotch emanating from the slices of pie on their plates. A porcelain teapot rests near the edge of the tray, along with a plate biscuits that looked like hearts.

“Please, at your leisure,” Asgore urges. “My wife’s pies are absolutely delicious! You will love them, I am sure.”

“Yes, thank you.” Grabbing the plate and fork next to it, Libra places it on his lap and begins to cut a small piece of it. The Monster King takes this as his cue to take his own plate before speaking again.

“Young one,” he starts as Libra takes the pie piece in his mouth. He’s finding it hard to listen to Asgore as the sweet taste of the pastry melts in his mouth and practically coats him with sugary goodness.

“How do you find Monster Town so far, young one?” the King asks. Libra takes another bite of pie before answering his question with a bright smile on his face.

“It’s wonderful,” he sighs. “I haven’t talked to many people, but I could see how much they get along with each other! Everyone is so nice, and it feels so safe here. Undyne says she’s the Chief of Police, but if you ask me, this place is too safe to need police.”

“Ah, you have met Undyne, then.” Asgore nods as he takes a piece of pie himself.

“Yes,” the young man nods. “I bumped into her and Papyrus early morning while they were jogging and… they ended up coming along with me to shop…” He leaves the part where he was supposed to get something for the King but didn’t because he left his money at home.

“They took me to Papyrus’s home for pasta,” he continues. “And before coming here, I came across Sans. They are wonderful people.”

“Indeed they are,” Asgore agrees.

“Oh,” Libra adds, “She told me to tell you that you should visit the Academy?”

“Ah, of course,” he says with a deep chuckle. “With all the new humans moving in, I find myself a bit exhausted to even think about venturing to the Academy. But yes, I do miss the wonderful hedges within the school’s gardens.”

“I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you, your Majesty.”

“It seems that you have yet to discard formalities with me, Libra,” Asgore chuckles again at his flustered and surprised reaction. “Do not worry. It is fine as I can tell you are uncomfortable calling me by my name. It will come, in time.”

“I am glad that you find Monster Town a wonderful place to live in,” he continues while Libra takes another bite of pie. “Might I ask if your family will visit any time soon?”

The temperature of the room suddenly drops to a chill, and Libra’s hand freezing midway to taking another piece of pie. The cold silence hangs gloomily around them, and Asgore realizes that he said something clearly upsetting. As he moves to say something, however, Libra beats him to it.

“…I don’t have family, your Majesty,” a sad smile crosses his face as he speaks. “I apologize for not mentioning it sooner… But I am alone in the house because no one else will come with me.”

“Oh, child, I am so–”

“It’s okay,” he lifts his head and tries to smile as reassuringly as possible. “It’s okay, your Majesty, you didn’t know. I don’t really talk about it, so really, please do not apologize.”

The King’s mouth remains slightly open for a moment before he closes it, offering him a kind smile. Unsure of what to do, Libra just smiles back before looking back down.

“If it is any consolation,” he starts, picking up his teacup. “You are welcome here anytime.”

“No, it’s…” the Zodiac tries to retort, but the kind eyes of the King makes his words die out before reaching his lips. He just clears his throat and nods, going back to quietly eating the pie. Asgore settles for the silence for a while until he tries to reinitiate a conversation with much more casual topics. Libra does his best to stay active as they talk about more mundane and shallow things, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be fully immersed in it like before. His mind has started drifting towards negative thoughts, but refuses to let the King notice. The conviction is short-lived, however, when he hears the King sigh, resignation in his voice.

“I have made you upset,” he says it like it’s a fact, unarguable.

“No, your Majesty,” the Zodiac tries to sound as cheerful as he could, but even he knows it’s a wasted effort. “I know it wasn’t your intention, you didn’t know! It was an honest mistake, and it’s not like I remember my family, anyway! I was alone from the moment I could see and–!”

It takes him a second to realize what he just told the old King, and his eyes widen at his words. He moves to try to correct himself, but is cut off by Asgore.

“It is all right to be upset, Libra,” he mutters. “I did something to upset you, and I see the folly of my words. You can be honest with me.”

“I…” Libra ends up looking down on his plate, fork poking at the half-eaten pie on the plate. What the King said is true, he is upset, but that doesn’t mean he should act it. He just doesn’t want people being upset with _him_ , so he keeps whatever negative feelings he has and buries them away, hoping to never feel them again.

The two of them sit there in silence, and while the King finishes his pie, Libra keeps his head low as he attempts to finish his. He keeps glancing at the King every once in a while, and he only has a patient smile on his face the whole time. That in itself is giving him a sense of comfort, that even after this awkward encounter, Libra would not have to distance himself to avoid any further uncomfortable moments.

Pies finished, the two sit on their respective chairs sipping tea. Libra has yet to speak, but Asgore has once again revived the conversation. He seems enthusiastic talking about flowers and gardening, and Libra appreciates the change in direction. Now he begins asking Asgore questions instead of the other way around. He finds out that the King likes to trim the hedges at the Academy, which the kids love, and how he is very knowledgeable with most plant life found on Earth. Even with the short amount of time he had, he made the most of it and grew. He still has a lot in him, though, so the Zodiac is confused when that thought popped on his mind.

Before he could contemplate on that, however, he hears the front door open followed by a pair of footsteps, one faster than the other.

“Ah, they are home.” Asgore sets his tea down. “My child, I am here!” Immediately, the hurried footsteps stop and restart, this time getting louder as Libra sees a small figure heading their way. The head of brown hair and purple and blue-striped sweater looks familiar, that’s for sure.

“I am sure you will love to meet my child, Frisk.” Asgore says as he turns to him.

Ah, that explains it.


	6. Something Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems that Libra isn't the only person learning many interesting things over the course of the day, but all things considered, they're all something that brings them closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am ten minutes late. I hate this.
> 
> Can you guys do me a favor and tell me if I'm writing Sans well or not? He's... well, I find it difficult to write him unless he's in another _situation_ *cough* *cough*
> 
> Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Frisk comes barreling through with impressive speed, the child almost a blur in Libra’s eyes as they jump and tackle their adoptive father in a hug, nuzzling against his chest and stomach as he hugs back with a laugh.

“I have missed you, too,” Asgore chuckles. His paw is so big it covers the entirety of Frisk’s head as he ruffles their bowl cut hair affectionately. It makes Libra chuckle a bit, standing up as he walks closer to the two. The King catches his eye and smiles brightly, waving a hand at him as he does so.

“Libra, allow me to introduce you,” he says, gesturing to the small form wrapped around one of his arms. “This is my child, Frisk, Ambassador and friend of Monsterkind.”

“Nice to meet you, Frisk,” Libra leans forward a bit as he tilts his head with a smile, trying to lock eyes with the wriggling child hiding under their father’s arm. Frisk grabs onto Asgore’s arm as they peek out slightly, eyes barely open as they look him up and down. They raise their thumb at him and nod before hiding back under the fluff of the King’s arm. The young man blinks at their action, but giggles nonetheless. Frisk must be shy, he thinks. He understands that, considering that he is just being forward now because he met Asgore the day before, and he wouldn’t be doing that if this is his first time meeting him.

“Dreemur,” a voice rings from inside the kitchen. That must be the ex-Queen. She doesn’t sound happy. “Why are the breakfast plates _still_ in the sink?! Have I not told you wash them before we left for the Academy?”

Libra could see Asgore visibly flinch at the sound of her tone, and he suddenly feels sad for the elder. The queen has a point, don’t get him wrong, but there are times when even he is too unmotivated to do any sort of work. He is sure the King has a good reason, and that the ex-Queen would be happy to hear it. He sounds like a responsible enough man, but even those of responsibility like to take things easy for a bit. The young man hears heavy footsteps padding towards the living room before he sees the tall, goat-like Monster carrying a regal, commanding aura.

She is wearing a white-collared purple sweater with long sleeves, a cream-colored pencil skirt that reaches her knees, and black flat shoes. Her height definitely doesn’t need any more boosting, as even though she looked shorter than Asgore, she is definitely still a head taller than Papyrus. Monsters are humongous, but the woman looks so delicate yet powerful, as confusing as that is to Libra. The large woman looks so professional in her outfit, along with a pair of rimmed glasses similar to his. It also makes the glare she’s making as she makes her way toward the living room much scarier.

“Dreemur, I asked you a simple task and yet you…” Her volume-rising ramble trails off as she catches sight of the young man shrinking back into the couch he sat on earlier. She quickly recomposes herself and gives a warm smile, still somewhat irritated with Asgore, but genuinely welcoming Libra’s presence in their home.

“Oh, greetings!” she exclaims, chuckling softly. “I assume you are the human King Asgore had invited over for lunch, yes?”

“Um, yes…” he mutters shyly despite himself. Authority figures do that to him. “My name is Libra, your Majesty…” The goat-like Monster’s eyes widen for a second before she laughs heartedly, and the young man spots a faint, affectionate glint in the King’s eyes before the ex-Queen speaks again.

“I am no more a Queen than you are a stranger, my child,” she says. “I am Toriel, principal of Ebott Academy and mother of Frisk. Undyne and Papyrus have mentioned you before we departed from the area.”

“Oh, really?” the young man asks, surprised. “They talked about me?”

“Papyrus is quite eager to spend time with you again,” she nods in response. “And Undyne is quite excited to try a new lesson plan with you.” He feels a shiver down his spine at the mention of that. Hopefully, no wonder hugs would be involved in it when the redhead ever decides to push through with her plan.

“That’s great,” he chuckles awkwardly, shuffling and shrinking further into the couch. “Um…I think I should…” He wants to leave. He feels like he’s disturbing a family moment, and not wanting to be rude, the two Monsters refuse to say anything. Libra prepares to stand and go when Toriel’s voice calls him.

“Oh, you are leaving already?” she asks, her smile faltering slight. “Frisk has been looking forward to meeting you since King Asgore told us of your visit today.” As if for emphasis, the child in Asgore’s arm pops out, nodding enthusiastically towards him.

“I-I see…” Libra mutters. Well, no point backing out now. As uncomfortable as he is after admitting family issues with Asgore, Libra definitely wants to get to know the Ambassador of Monsters, ask them a few stories about their journey in the Underground and all that. He sits up straighter, smiling in a way that’s hopefully reassuring.

“W-well, I could s-stay for a bit longer…” he takes a deep breath to fix his stutter. “I don’t have anything else to do today, after all.” At this, Toriel’s smile returns fully, walking slowly towards Asgore and Frisk.

“Oh, wonderful!” she exclaims, clapping her paws in delight. “It would be a pleasure to speak with you while King Asgore returns to the kitchen to finish his task.” She pointedly makes emphasis of the King’s burden, to which he sighs defeated at when she gives a sideways glance to him. The large goat Monster slowly stands up, letting Frisk dangle from his arm for a moment before they jump down. As he heads towards the kitchen, looking at Toriel giving him a briefly irritated but knowing expression, Libra takes notice of the child walking up to him. The goat mother takes Asgore’s spot on the couch as Libra and Frisk sit down on the sofa. The child twists in their seat so they are looking straight at him, while he only tilts his head in their direction, attention still divided between them and the ex-Queen. He doesn’t want to miss anything either of them has to say.

“So, how old are you, Frisk?” Libra asks casually, trying to initiate conversation with them. They don’t respond for several seconds, and when they do, they hold up their hands and count a number. They count off to twelve, which Libra assumes to be their age. Do they not speak? Sweat begins to form on his forehead, and his finger twitches slightly. He doesn’t know what to ask and how to ask it. He doesn’t want to be rude to the King and ex-Queen’s kid; it would make him so unhappy if they think he is insensitive. But he still doesn’t know what to say. As if sensing his discomfort, Toriel giggles softly at his frozen state of minor panic before she speaks.

“My child, do not worry,” she says, smiling at the younger. “Frisk is merely shy about letting new friends hear their voice. They will warm up to you soon.”

“Oh, no worries,” the young man says, straightening a bit. “Take as long as you need, Frisk. I can talk for the both of us.”

Frisk grins widely at him, giving him another two thumbs up to which he smiles at in response. Well, Toriel is more than happy to take up Libra’s attention, as she begins asking him about anything and everything before their meeting here. As the Zodiac answers the principal’s questions, leaving his talk with Asgore about family matters and avoiding every such topic that comes up, he keeps glancing back at the child scooted next to him. They keep gazing at him with such an inquisitive expression not someone their age should really have. Libra takes it in stride, mostly. After all, as the Ambassador of Monsters, Frisk has to have some sort of wisdom in them for the Monsters to look up to them for such a great responsibility. If it were Libra in their spot, he would not be able to handle such attention and would definitely fail in that respect. He admires the younger’s determination for taking on such a big responsibility at a young age, that’s for sure.

“Libra?” he hears the ex-Queen’s voice call out. He jerks his head towards her direction, not even noticing that he wasn’t glancing at Toriel until now. Libra clears his throat with a slight nod of his head and gives a small smile.

“My apologies, Miss Toriel,” he says, “my thoughts drifted elsewhere… What was your question again?” He at least hopes it was a question Toriel was telling him, or it would make him feel bad that he didn’t listen. Toriel’s worried look softens a bit, and she nods at the young man with patient eyes.

“It is all right,” she brings a hand up to adjust her glasses before continuing. “But I am afraid that we might not be able to continue our lovely conversation. Frisk must do their homework now before they are free to play with their friends outside.”

He sees Frisk deflate at the sound of homework, but gives him a smile as they pad towards their mother. The Zodiac smiles at them, though is not really envious of the treacherous piles of paper they surely need to conquer before being allowed to leave their home. He stands up and looks at the clock just above the fireplace a little ways from where Toriel is sitting. Asgore never returned, but it has been at least a couple of hours since the ex-Queen arrived.

“Say, where’s his Majesty?” Libra asks aloud, curious and also a bit concerned. “He hasn’t returned after going off to finish his chores…”

“Ah, do not worry yourself, my child,” Toriel assures him as she stands up, putting a paw on Frisk’s head as she walks them out of the living room. “King Asgore, during quiet afternoons such as this, tends to take a small nap within his garden outside. It is not surprising, considering his fascination of flora and passion for gardening.”

“Oh, I see,” the young man groans, stretching his body from side to side. Sitting down for hours really takes a toll on one’s body. He doesn’t feel tired, but his body feels exhausted. He needs to find something to do once he gets out.

“It was nice having you over, Libra,” the ex-Queen chimes as the latter falls into step with her and Frisk. They lead him to the front door, and as he exits, she adds, “Feel free to come by anytime, after classes. I would love to hear more of your insights on human philosophy.”

He nods, “I would love to, Miss Toriel. I’ll see you later, then. You too, Frisk, study hard!” He raises his own thumb at the younger, grinning as enthusiastically as he can. “I’ll come by over a weekend when you want to, so we can play together, too. Sound good?”

The brown-haired child nods and giggles at this, surprising him, if only just a little. Libra makes it a point to bring Frisk snacks next time, and remembers the small store he, Undyne, and Papyrus passed through before reaching the gates. The sweets there all look so tempting, and he remembers seeing some familiar human-made brands, some of which is Capricorn’s favorite.

The young man lets a sigh escape his lips as he travels within the mountain’s forest back to downtown. His brain just _has_ to remind him of Capricorn, now doesn’t it? It’s only been three days since his departure from STARS and the Center, so he guesses that missing her is only natural since it’s still too early to start getting distracted by anything else. And even if it takes a while, he would still miss his Sister until she returns safely from… wherever she is right now.

Lowering his head, he blinks a familiar sensation away. He’s worried over nothing. He doesn’t even know where Capricorn is, after all. The bad feeling swirling around his stomach could only signify upcoming hunger, that’s it. He definitely isn’t having a bad feeling about Capricorn’s mission to whatever different universe she’s been sent to or something. She can handle herself, he assures himself. She’s the one who helped him learn how to fight when all he wanted to do was give up after a few tries. She’s also the one who taught him to endure all hardships and, for the sake of himself and everyone else around him, not let any negative feelings show. She could handle herself, he figures. Capricorn is a strong girl.

With the reassurance playing a loop in his subconscious, he continues his slow walk back to his house, still faintly unsure about the feeling in his gut and what to do once he gets home.

 

* * *

 

Libra only just manages to reach the gates and the marketplace before he shoves himself under the nearest shade, which is a small, presumably empty cart stand with a large cloth-like roof shielding it from the harsh mid-afternoon sun. Taking a deep, even breath, he wipes some sweat off his brow and leans on the stand’s counter a bit. He shouldn’t have worn his jacket at all today. It was a bit chilly earlier, but now the weather made a complete reversal and is scalding him from the inside out. He forgets that it’s summer, and the outside will burn him if he isn’t too careful. He licks his lips, suddenly dry and rough on his tongue as it runs over the once soft muscles. He needs some water, or anything else to cool him down. His jacket is getting uncomfortably warm, too. His hand begins to tug the hem of his jacket, body intent on removing the piece of clothing, but stops short of lifting it up when a voice pulls him out of his concentration.

“Hey, it’s you again,” sounds the deep voice of a certain skeleton. Libra pulls the hem of his jacket down, tightly bundling it up in his fist when he starts. With his other hand, he pushes his glasses up a bit before turning his head to meet Sans’ eyes. The other is regarding him with a small smile like earlier, and he relaxes at that. His lax turns to curiosity when Sans goes beside the cart stand, opening the small compartment there and going inside. He straightens himself as he looks at the skeleton with a silent question in his eyes as he lifts the metal sheet shrouding the insides of the small cart stand.

Sans has his back turned to Libra as he rummages around for something inside the stand, but from the chuckle that resounds from him a second later, Libra knows he’s being stared at. He kind of feels embarrassed for staring now, so he quickly darts his eyes towards the assortment of condiments arranged on top of a shelf near Sans. His cheeks feel a little warmer.

“S-so,” he begins, slowly unclenching his hand from his jacket. “This is where you work, huh?”

“I work around,” he clarifies, turning around with a grey apron in his hands. “Odd jobs and part time here and there, gets me a lot of official break hours.”

“You work for breaks?” Libra asks, an eyebrow rising in confusion. “That… doesn’t make any sense.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til ya try it,” Sans merely shrugs, putting the apron on and tying it loosely around his waist level. He goes to the counter and pulls out a pair of tongs and opens another small compartment.

“Speakin’ of which, care for a hotdog?” he asks. Libra leans forward and discovers that the compartment is a freezer containing many hotdogs. A hotdog stand, he finally realizes, and a smile graces his face.

“I would love to,” he says, but quickly frowns, biting his lip before adding, “Ah, but I left my money at home…”

“Don’t worry, it’s on the house,” the skeleton says, grinning at him. “But just this once, though. Got it?”

He’s already putting one on the oil-slicked stove on the other side, and Libra feels a twinge of guilt flutter in his chest. The sweltering heat forgotten, he plays with the edges of his sleeves as he finds his reflection on the steel counter.

“Oh no,” he mutters. He gazes at Sans’ hand, and to the side before adding, “This is your job… I can’t let you do that. I’ll just, maybe pay for it later?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sans repeats as he manages the stove. “Not like these things are expensive, anyway. But, uh…” As he glances over and notices the young man’s sullen expression, his tone becomes a bit quieter. “Seriously pal, no worries. I haven’t apologized to ya yet, either, so lemme make it up to ya, ‘kay?”

“Um,” he glances at Sans, who only shows a neutral expression with a patient smile, and nods, just barely visible. “Okay…” Sans grins delightfully at his response, and Libra feels his worries ebb away slowly.

“One ‘dog, comin’ right up,” he says, turning the stove off and removing the cooked meat from it. He places it on a small plate as he takes a long bun from a temperature-controlled container. “You want ketchup or mustard with that?”

“Either’s fine,” the young man mumbles, his lips moving to a small smile. “You know, you didn’t have to do this... I already said it was okay, and you didn’t mean it…”

“Look pal, lemme be _frank_ with ya,” the skeleton cuts him off as he grabs the condiment bottles from the shelf. “Jokes and pranks are fun, right? Supposed to make ya laugh, give you a good time… ‘Cept that I gave ya a bad time with that one, and that ain’t fun for me and you.”

“So, for what it’s worth,” he continues, stopping for a moment and regarding the other. “I’m sorry, really. It ain’t the _wurst_ thing I did, but nobody’s ever reacted that way to my pranks before. Paps and Undyne were really worried about ya back there.”

“Thank you for apologizing, Sans,” Libra sighs after a moment of silence. “It means a lot, even though I already forgave you.”

“Heh, you’re a nice kid,” the skeleton mutters as he finishes Libra’s order. He hands the hotdog over and says, “Let’s _relish_ the start of a new friendship, then.”

Libra laughs lightly, reaching over for the food and nodding. He still feels like he should do something to return the favor, but he would work on that later. Right now, after walking down a long mountain trail back to the down in probably the hottest time of the day, he could really use the snack.

“So, Sans,” he begins, taking a bite out of the hotdog. He pauses momentarily and looks at the food in his hand, chewing slowly before smiling. “Hey, this is really good!”

“Glad to hear,” the skeleton responds, leaning forward on the counter. “What’s up?”

“Oh, right,” Libra takes a quick bite from the ‘dog and gulps it down with a sigh of content before he speaks. “You said this isn’t your only job, right? Where else do you work?”

“Oh, that,” he chuckles. “Well, ‘side from the hotdog gig, I help ol’ Fluffybuns in his garden with weedin’ and waterin’. The only other stable job I have is bein’ a call-in repairman. Not that demandin’ since most are careful with their stuff, but still has a lot of history to be needin’ one in the first place.”

“You don’t sound lazy at all…” Libra says, observant yet absent at the same time. He collects himself a second later and adds, “Sorry, I was just thinking… Papyrus mentioned you never really liked working before…?” At this, Sans’ smile falters, if only slightly, and the Zodiac immediately senses the thin ice he’s stepped on.

“Y-you can skip that question if you want,” the young man stammers slightly, eyes darting to the side. His grip on his sleeves is back. “I-I was just being curious and nosy…”

“Nah, it’s cool, I can share.” he hears Sans say. “Least I could do after makin’ ya panic.”

He looks back at his direction, only to see his expression has become unreadable. Good job, Libra. Finally start on a fresh leaf with a new friend, only to ruin it by asking invasive questions.

“Being stuck underground kinda makes work seem worthless, really…” the skeleton explains, and Libra feels more than just guilt; he feels sympathy. “Nothin’ changes, same routine, predictable and constant. It kinda sucks the life outta ya, you know?”

He waits for a moment to see Libra respond. The young man nods his head solemnly, a familiar feeling of closed walls and routine mornings crawling up his back. Sans continues after seeing him nod, eyes gazing at the myriad of busy people and Monsters both enjoying and hiding from the heat.

“Now, out here, _up_ here,” Sans’ eyes brighten a bit, his smile becoming more genuine as it does. “Anything can happen, basically. Nothing is predictable. And the air is so fresh here, not recycled like down there. And the sun… it feels nice on these bones, I ain’t gonna deny that.”

“Maybe it’s the sun, or maybe I just really want to see more of the world,” he shrugs, winking at the other. “But a few months after reachin’ the Surface, I actually wanted to _do_ something.”

“I’m happy for you,” Libra gives him a big, supportive grin. His grip on his sleeves loosens, his hand finding its way to his arm. “I know what that feels like, and I’m happy you got what you wanted.”

“Thanks,” the skeleton grins back. “Now, enough of the mush, kid. I have five hours on the clock, and that’s gonna be stuck on my skull until my break.”

“When is your break?” the Zodiac asks, smile still in place.

“Why do you wanna know?” Sans asks back, bone brow rising in mischief. Libra fights back the urge to gulp. Oh, is he that obvious?

“Just being curious and nosy,” he repeats, chuckling awkwardly and forcing his stiff shoulders (he didn’t even notice they were stiff) to relax. Sans eyes him for a moment more, before shrugging and turning back around.

“A couple of hours,” he answers.

“All right,” Libra says. That’s all the answer he needs. “I’ll see you later, Sans.”

“See ya,” he waves a hand at him, his back still turned. Libra nods to himself, turning and starting his walk back home. A faint smile is on his face the whole while.

 

* * *

 

It’s another slow day.

Aside from Libra, only two other customers arrived to get Sans off his metaphorical butt and do some work on his stand since the start of the day. Not many people seem interested in hot food in the middle of summer, he supposes. He doesn’t mind, he’s used to not doing anything, anyway.

At least here, he could appreciate how the sun’s light bathes the marketplace in an ethereal, almost golden glow turning to orange as it starts to set. He sees a few familiar faces, like Woshua and the Human janitor they’re mentoring, the name escapes him but she’s friendly. He spots the ex-Royal Guards, 01 and 02, holding hands as they walk and pick through the variety of goods everyone has to offer. They give him a wave as the skeleton catches their eye. He returns it before they continue on their way, 01 pointing to a store with a gasp before dragging the ever stoic 02 with him. He chuckles at their antics, still the same old people, but with new people to fill in the spaces.

He thinks back on what he said to Libra, and how easily the boy managed to get him to open up. The kid just has a certain safety around him, is all, and Sans could tell that anything that passes between them of that magnitude would remain a secret. He still feels a bit bad for causing the kid’s panic attack. He didn’t even see his face when it happened because Undyne and Papyrus were already on his case before he managed to apologize. The breath of fresh air did both of them good, he thinks, as he was able to patch things up with the young man before the end of the day.

He seems like a good kid. Nice, supportive, and caring to the people he meets. Still, Sans _knows_ there’s something going on beneath that. Whatever it is Libra refuses to tell, he can find out at a later date. They have a lot of time to get to know each other, if Sans has anything to say about it.

He could relate to him, at least, however twisted it seems. A human trapped and forced to live the same routine over and over again? He’s only ever seen those in movies, and that never really ends with a happy ending. These thoughts are his fault anyway, and he makes a mental note to get back at Libra for making him think like this during work.

Still, what they talked about reminded him of a few things. He’s happier here, he admits to himself, knowing what he and his fellow Monsters went through to achieve this sort of life. Four hundred years is a long time to be trapped in the Underground, and he’s only walked half of what Tori and Asgore lived through. The sunlight is so much prettier when he isn’t seeing it from inside Judgment Hall. Sans reminds himself to thank the kid again and annoy them for this later.

“Look sharp, skeleton,” a voice snaps him from his musing. He blinks and drags his gaze to Veronica, Snowdin’s previous shopkeeper and now store owner of the candy shop in Monster Town. She’s standing to the side of the cart stand, right hand on her waist as she smirks at him. He gives a lazy grin her way and pushes himself off the counter, elbows resting on it still.

“Heya, Roni,” he snickers when her nose twitches from the nickname. “What are ya doin’ out so early?”

“I’m just running an errand,” she says, pointedly ignoring his bait on the nickname. She would be here all night if she starts to rant about her name. “Nikki broke a jar and cut her hands. Real nasty, those glass jars, shards and red just everywhere on the floor.” Her nose twitches again, but Sans could recognize her concern.

“Nik’s a tough kid,” he points out, giving her what he hopes is a reassuring grin. “She’ll be back to normal in no time. Uh, if you hurry up and get the stuff she needs.”

“Crap, you’re right,” she gasps. She gives him a look, like she hates him for being right but doesn’t say it. She always looks like this when people make her realize she’s been gossiping instead of doing her job. “Thanks, later.” She says a moment later.

“No prob,” he says, but she’s already walking away, strong legs striding and covering great distances far more than he can. She can probably outrun a horse if she really wants to. He laughs silently at the thought, before getting back to what he was doing.

Nothing.

Well, nothing and thinking.

Sans sighs, straightening his stance and looking back at his work station. He’s already cleaned all of it, bottles of condiments neatly rowed together, utensils washed and stove wiped clean. He doesn’t really have anything else to do besides sit and wait for his break. He could close early, but he doesn’t want to go home just yet. Maybe the work will pick up during the night, when most are off from work and on their way home. Nothing says to-go meal like a hotdog, right?

With that thought in mind, Sans checks the small wall clock next to the counter window. It wouldn’t hurt to start his break at least five minutes early. The skeleton unties the loose ribbon on his back and takes the apron off, putting it back inside the bin where other clothes and fabric stay stashed. He checks one last time if anyone is coming for a quick ‘dog before his break, and when he is sure that no one is rushing, he reaches for and pulls down the metal sheet, covering the window and blocking the view from outside.

He steps outside, but stops short when he comes across a small plastic wrap dangling in front of him. It’s tied with a thin string on one of the roof’s pipes. He recognizes the brand, it’s NiceCream. The NiceCream guy’s face is on the wrapper, and looking further up, he spots a piece of paper tied in the middle of the string. He pulls the paper out of the tie and opens it, interest piqued. It’s a note, he realizes, from Libra. The small doodle of his Zodiac Sign is the only clue he needs.

_-To the **cool** dude with **humerus** puns; thought you might need a pick-me-up, too. Have an- **ice** day! Ha, wordplay.-_

“Heh, how’d he get past me?” he chuckles, untangling the wrapper from the string. It was tied pretty loosely, but it held together enough for the NiceCream to not fall. Normally, he notices people going to the cart stand, even if it’s from behind. Libra must have been extremely quiet for him not to notice. Or maybe, he was just really deep in thought about things.

He shrugs. Another question for another day, he supposes. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a retreating figure with a dark green shirt, a familiar brown jacket tied around his waist just before he disappears in the next block. Barely missed him, huh? The kid sure is fast, then.

At least he has free NiceCream.


	7. Determined Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Libra's putting in a whole lot of effort into being happy with his newfound friends. How long will this last, exactly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O u O
> 
> I'm not late, _and_ I've reached over the average word count? Today is a good day. =w=)b

It’s been almost a month since Libra first stepped in Monster Town.

True to his desires, he never put in any effort into searching for multiverse essence the entire month, and instead focused on spending more time in the group he found himself in and getting to know the place better. He spent his mornings either jogging around town with Undyne and Papyrus, or making them coffee every time they passed by his house. He still isn’t comfortable with letting anyone in, so he usually waited outside for them to jog around the block with a chair outside. Papyrus made many attempts to get inside his abode, but he knew every trick the skeleton had up his sleeve. He was just too jovial and predictable, and Libra could appreciate that.

Early afternoons were spent with Sans and Asgore, who were an interesting pair, to say the least. They spoke normally and casually, offering Libra chances to participate and learn in gardening. He declined most of them, preferring to stay in the shade of the umbrella over the small table Asgore had set up before. The young man noticed that Sans was indeed a lazybones, often letting the King work while he sat back with the Zodiac and chatted. This made Libra feel bad about Asgore’s situation, but the skeleton assured him that the King had been gardening for an extremely long time, and unless he called for Sans to help, he could take care of it on his own. They both seemed to get along well, but the King seemed more wary in his choice of topics when regarding the skeleton, especially when it comes to Toriel.

“Beats me,” Sans had said one time when Libra asked about it. “Maybe it’s because I keep getting his _goat_.”

He snickered at that pun, but the young man was at a loss for its meaning. He saw, however, how the King’s mood dropped considerably after overhearing that passing conversation. He never asked about it again.

Late afternoons were with Toriel and Frisk in the living room, most of the time. He sometimes helped the Ambassador with their homework, or discussed more subjects other than school-related things with the ex-Queen. She even offered to teach him how to bake, which was nice, but unnecessary since he already knew how to some degree. Instead, they exchanged recipes, with Toriel giving him the recipe for her famous Cinnamon-Butterscotch Pie, and Libra giving Capricorn’s recipe for her claimed self-taught peanut-butter chocolate chip soft dough cookies. Frisk was sure excited to taste that.

Overall, Libra was content and happy with how things are going at the moment. He had people he liked who liked him back, he wasn’t called in for reports or assignments, and he wasn’t cooped up in his room all the time. The only drawback here was his actions could possibly have negative consequences in the future.

Sure, it’s a bit irresponsible, possibly life-threatening, and could cost him and most everyone their lives, but he has five more months to look for where the multiverse essence is hiding its form from the world. Usually, it doesn’t even take a whole month to find traces of the thing, since it gives off a very faint vibration in the air that only the Zodiacs could feel for some odd, curious reason that the Director refuses to share with them. But the case stands nonetheless; he can find it any time he wants, just not at this time because he wants to make the most of this little niche of joy he stumbled upon in his lifelong prison.

Still, that doesn’t mean that the multiverse essence shares his ideals, or if it could even sense them in the first place. In the time Libra spent in Monster Town, and counting the first appearance it did on his first night, the multiverse essence made its presence known to him thrice now. On the second time, about a week after his first visit to the King’s home, he was thankfully alone again, trailing down the mountain after an afternoon of playing and trying out gym lessons with Frisk, Papyrus, and Undyne on one the mountain clearings. She insisted that she tried them on him first so the children would be safe, and turned out to be the right decision when he ended up with cuts and bruises which Undyne apologized for profusely. Though he paid little mind to it, Papyrus was adamant to giving him get well spaghetti. He didn’t mind that one bit. It had appeared there a little while later, after most of them have gone off their separate ways. It was a good thing that only a couple of Sentinels appeared and nothing else followed that day. Libra was not in the right condition to fight off anything else at the time.

The most recent one, about a couple of days ago, had Libra gritting his teeth as he attempted to leave during his hangout with Toriel and Frisk. It wouldn’t have been a problem for Toriel if he left early, she understood if he had other things to do for the day and he sometimes left before they went home anyway. Frisk, however, was a lot more difficult to convince. He was about to teach them how to write a short story and accidentally mentioned a story he wrote as a child. The young man ended up staying an hour more, sharing his little story with Frisk and Toriel while also dissecting points of it that could help the young Ambassador when starting a story of their own. By the end of it he was incredibly happy to share it with them and glad that Frisk learned something from it, but the pounding pressure in his head was enough to put a damper on his mood the moment he walked out the door. He didn’t even realize back then that his bracelets were emitting large spikes of magic because he was inwardly snapping at the multiverse essence. Had Toriel noticed them? Hopefully not, or he would have to explain so many things that he didn’t want to.

Libra felt more than saw how close the multiverse essence was to the King’s home, and it took a whole lot of effort on his part _not_ to lead them anywhere near the houses on the mountain. It took him a while to get rid of them all, too, as they were starting to pile on numbers suddenly. By the end of their scuffle, he had been bruised and cut all over again. It wasn’t a problem, he’d heal eventually. His body regenerates at a faster rate than humans, after all. At least he got to take care of any trouble headed in his friends’ direction. Those things would have caused panic with the monsters if they were ever seen. 

* * *

 

Libra sighs as he sips on a mug of chocolate, sitting on his sofa as he plays with a page of the book he’s reading on his lap. Sighing, he places the mug back down on the table and reads a passage of the book before he puts it away too, placing it on the space under the table. Standing up, he stretches his arms and legs, mewling in delight when he feels a popping on his shoulders. How long has he been sitting here? Glancing outside, he clicks his tongue when he realizes that the sun is already setting.

“Guess it isn’t that bad…” he mutters, taking his mug to the kitchen sink. “At least no one’s looking for me.”

He’s been cooped up in his house for the past two days, recovering from his injuries in the last encounter with the energy being’s summons. He doesn’t want anyone worrying about him, as well as to avoid questions about his recovering injuries, so he’s been spending his days quietly in the comfort of his home while trying not to let anyone know about it. So far it’s been going well; everyone’s been keeping to their routines as normal, not noticing his absence. Because why would they? He’s only been around month and…

He mentally chides himself by thinking such irrational thoughts. Of course they won’t come to visit. All of them are busy with lives of their own, and he’s told them not to come to his house in the first place. Besides, he doesn’t even completely belong in the region. He’s just a foreign man on foreign territory on a mission that doesn’t really interest him. But if not for the mission, he wouldn’t have been sent to the one place he truly wanted to be in. STARS can go and leave him alone for the rest of the five months he’s here, because he’s going to do exactly the same.

A knock on the door brings him out of his thoughts, and he sets down the mug on the sink before going to the front door. He hears the knock again, persistent and increasingly hurried. Whoever this is has a strong fist.

“Hold on,” he says. The knocking stops and he uses that moment to go over and look at the door’s peephole, surprise coloring his face when he stares face-to-face with a golden eye and a smirking fish Monster.

“Yo, punk,” Undyne greets, her fist on top of the peephole. The door still barring her away from the young man, and by the movement behind her, Libra could guess that she isn’t alone. “You gonna open the door or what?”

“Undyne,” he mutters, his hand automatically trying to grip on the sleeve of his jacket. He sighs inwardly when he remembers that he isn’t wearing it today as he wasn’t planning on going outside. All his shirts have short sleeves, like the one he’s wearing right now. Glancing at the doorknob, he takes a breath and opens the door, ready to turn them away if they want to come inside. When he catches sight of Undyne, Papyrus and surprisingly Frisk, he immediately feels trepidation for his earlier decision.

“GOOD EVENING, LIBRA!” Papyrus greets happily. “HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? I DO HOPE YOU ARE NOT PRETENDING TO BE SANS AND LAZING AROUND YOUR HOUSE ALL THE TIME THESE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I EXPECT MORE OF YOU!”

“N-no, Papyrus, I wasn’t,” the Zodiac says, giving them all a cursory glance and a reassuring smile. “I was just getting some rest… Undyne’s lesson plan really did a number on me more than I realized.”

“Well… shoot,” Undyne mutters, looking at the child’s direction as she deftly avoids cussing. “Should’ve just told me you couldn’t handle it, you big weenie. I would have made it easier for you.”

“No, it’s fine.” He nods even as she grabs his arm and looks over it analytically. “My body just feels a bit lighter, it’ll pass.” The redhead’s eye darts up to gaze intently at his light brown ones, as if searching his face for any clues. After a few moments, and an awkward cough from Papyrus that brought everyone’s attention back, Undyne lets go of his arm and nods to herself.

“Next time,” she mutters, “give me a heads up if I’m going too rough on you, all right?”

“I will,” he nods in response. He debates with himself for a few more silent moments before he steps to the side with the door, presenting them with his house.

“Would you… like to come in?” he asks, his hand instead gripping the hem of his shirt. He feels a cold breeze pass them, his legs shivering slightly. He shouldn’t have worn faded-color shorts. But again, he wore them with the mindset that it was going to be just him today, so he pays it no mind.

While Papyrus and Undyne stare at him in minute shock and delight, Frisk just barrels right in, removing their shoes and running towards the living room. He chuckles at the child’s eagerness while taking their shoes from the ground and putting them on the rack beside him. He looks back at the two and nods firmly, gesturing them in. With no further prompt, the two Monsters head inside, the redhead patting him on the shoulder as Papyrus calls on to Frisk to inspect the kitchen immediately.

“WE MUST MAKE SURE OUR FRIEND IS EATING THE RIGHT KIND OF SPAGHETTI,” he announces. The young Ambassador giggles before they jump from the sofa and patter along to the kitchen.

“Nice place,” Undyne muses, giving every nook of the scene before her a glance. The neutral line on her lips slowly turns into a scowl, and Libra feels a bit wary of his decision now. “Looks expensive, too… How’d you afford this?”

“It involves a lot of paperwork that I don’t think you’ll be interested in hearing me explain…” the young man says, avoiding her gaze as he heads to the kitchen as well. “I’ll go over and help Papyrus and Frisk with the spaghetti…” He focuses on the sound of cupboards and cabinets being explored and opened, pots and pans clanking as they’re moved when the redhead doesn’t budge from her spot. He is going to answer a lot of questions from her later on, but he wants to avoid it as much as he can. It’s a very good thing he has a habit of keeping his room locked, picked up from his long time at the Center. Everyone there is very strict about their privacy, and instilled into him that he should always leave his bedroom door locked so no one too nosy gets a hold of any valuable information on them.

Despite the noises they’re making, the kitchen is surprisingly clean and free from any mess. Even the mug he left on the sink earlier has been washed. He feels a bit embarrassed now. Frisk is sitting on the counter with their usual striped sweater while Papyrus picks through the many, still unused products Libra doesn’t want to touch. Not because he doesn’t know how to cook, but because bread, ham, and cheese are all he needs to survive… maybe. The lanky skeleton grumbles when he doesn’t find what he’s looking for in the fridge, and moves to filter the cabinets above the child’s area.

“What are you looking for, Papyrus?” he asks. “Perhaps I could help?”

Libra doesn’t get a response, perhaps the tall Monster is too involved in whatever task he’s doing that he doesn’t hear him. He reaches further inside the cabinet, gloved hands sifting through the many cans of packaged goods and cups of noodles. The look of concentration present on Papyrus’ face is adorable, but soon broken with a broad grin when he finds what he’s looking for.

“SPAGHETTI!” the skeleton exclaims, sounding like he has just hit the jackpot. He pulls out, as expected, two packages of store-brand pasta. That, combined with the other ingredients inside Libra’s fridge, gives the Zodiac an idea.

“Papyrus,” he calls, walking towards him and Frisk. “I’m afraid we can’t cook spaghetti tonight.”

“BUT WHY?” He looks so crestfallen when he asks the question, prompting Libra to pat him reassuringly on the shoulder for support. This Monster is simply too adorable for the world.

“We can cook tomorrow,” he assures. “I just don’t feel like I’ll be a good host tonight. Cooking pasta needs time, and I’m sure Frisk needs to be home before dinner?” He gives a knowing smile at the aforementioned individual, who only pouts and makes a series of gestures with their hands that causes Libra to tilt his head in confusion. Sign Language isn’t his forte, but thankfully, Papyrus sees this and begins to translate for him.

“FRISK SAYS THAT IT’S OKAY AS LONG AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND UNDYNE ARE TAKING CARE OF THEM!” He puts the pasta back in the cabinet and closes them. “FRIEND, IT IS A SHAME WE CANNOT MAKE MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI FOR YOU TONIGHT. MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE TO HELP YOU GET BETTER?”

“Oh, that’s sweet of you Papyrus.” Libra pats him once more before he pulls his hand from the skeleton and to his chin. “Hmm… It is getting hotter by the day… I think I have a blender we could use for milkshakes.”

Frisk beams at the mention of sweets, and Papyrus smiles again, giving Libra a very warm and comforting feeling. He likes this, making his friends happy. He feels like he belongs with them, despite having only known them for a month.

“Hey, punks,” Undyne knocks on the wall by the doorway, grabbing everyone’s attention. “What’re you all up to?”

“UNDYNE, LIBRA HAS OFFERED TO MAKE US MILKSHAKES!” Papyrus answers. She nods as Frisk jumps from the counter and runs over to her, signing to and making her grin.

“Sure, if the punk’s up for it,” she says, ruffling the child’s hair. She looks up at Libra and adds, “Hey, kid wants to know if you wanna sleep over with us at their place tomorrow.”

“OH, IS IT FRIDAY TOMORROW ALREADY?” the skeleton Monster asks, sounding a bit surprised. “THE WEEK FLEW BY FAST, DIDN’T IT?”

“What’s the occasion?” Libra asks, curious. He’s feeling so happy at the moment because Frisk invited him over for a special friends-only occasion, but he’s not sure if he’s going to be entirely up for it.

“YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE IT,” Papyrus says. “YOU’LL FINALLY GET TO MEET ALPHYS AND ENJOY A NIGHT OF FUN AND ANIME!”

“I’m in,” he says quickly, no hesitation in his tone. Frisk and Papyrus both squeal in delight as Undyne barks out a laugh.

“Well, that was quick,” she mutters. She smirks as the young man casually waves her off, looking away for a moment before back at her with a small smile.

“You had me at anime,” Libra chuckles. He doesn’t hide his joy when Undyne’s eye widens, grin broadening and showing off her teeth.

“GREAT!” she exclaims, “You’re gonna love it, punk! Alphys picks out the best anime! Even if you’re only meeting tomorrow, by morning we’re all gonna be besties!”

The sudden shift of Undyne’s mood makes Libra even happier, and he nods at her approvingly.

“I hope so,” he says. “Now, let me just run to the marketplace to get some ice cream and crushed ice.”

“Nah, I’ll do it,” the redhead says. Before he could say anything else, she adds, “I have to get some things on the way anyway, so just let me do it. Will NiceCream do?”

“Does NiceCream come in chocolate?” Libra sees Frisk nod, so he tips his head to Undyne in approval. “Oh, I need to get you some money…” But it’s too late. The fish Monster is already exiting his house, much to his dismay, and the three of them head into the living room.

This is nice, he feels. There’s a warm, fluttery feeling from earlier that’s returning to him as he looks at Frisk and Papyrus digging around underneath his coffee table, excitement written on their faces as they look through several books. The young man laughs as they try to find a book worthy for the great Papyrus and Frisk, so he picks up the one with a worn cover, dusts it off, and sits down on the sofa. Seeing this, the two follow suit.

“So,” Libra sighs as they sit down, rapt in attention. “Who wants to hear a story?”

By the time they hear the front door open, Libra has already finished reading them one of his old short stories. Frisk is excitedly taking down notes as he uses his story’s flaws as their guide and reference while Papyrus decisively argues that it’s not bad.

“BUT MARY FOUND HER ONE TRUE LOVE IN THE END!” Papyrus argues, crossing his arms and pouting. It still interests Libra to no end how malleable and flexible the skeletal brothers’ bones are in comparison to real human bones. Magic, he presumes.

“Well, Papyrus…” he begins to explain. Just before he adds to anything, Undyne’s loud voice makes him wince and interrupts him. They all turn to the sound of footsteps heading towards the living room.

“Hey, punks! Guess who’s back?” she announces as she enters the room, holding two plastic bags. Behind her, Libra catches glimpse of a new but familiar visitor, if his blue and black jacket doesn’t give anything away, it’s certainly his skeletal features and that ever-present grin.

“Hey, Undyne, and Sans,” the Zodiac waves at them. The shorter skeleton winks back at him, passing Undyne with hands in his pockets as he scours the house with his gaze.

“Heya,” he greets back. “Nice place ya got ‘ere.” Libra smiles at him when he grins, plopping down on the couch next to him.

“Thanks,” he answers, not wasting any more time with the subject. “I’m assuming you heard about the milkshakes?”

“Yeah,” Sans shrugs, eyes glinting mischievously. “Figured the invite would be hard to _shake_ off, so I stopped by.” Libra giggles at the obvious wordplay, rolling his eyes without any negative intent.

“SANS,” Papyrus shouts from his seat. Even in the short distance, it still feels like he’s shouting against Libra’s ear, causing him to flinch slightly. “DON’T RUIN THE NIGHT WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS PUNS!”

“What, bro?” the shorter skeleton asks, feigning shock. “My puns sold gold back at MTT’s. You could say I–”

“SANS DON’T YOU DA–”

“– _milked_ them dry.”

“MILKSHAKE NIGHT IS RUINED!” Papyrus woefully exclaims. Frisk tries to console him by patting him on the back, but it’s doing very little considering they’re also giggling behind their hand. Sans only chuckles heartily at his brother’s theatrics, because even Libra could see the smile present on the lanky skeleton’s face.

“Papyrus, you’re smiling,” he points out.

“I KNOW AND I HATE IT,” the other replies as he gets up to his feet. “AREN’T WE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MILKSHAKES?”

“Oh, you’re right!” Libra abruptly stands from his spot, too. Turning to Undyne, who is still holding the two plastic bags, he notices that they’re still not soaking through the plastic.

“Oh, thank goodness…” he sighs. “Undyne, would you please come with me to the kitchen? I need help finding the blender and setting it up.”

“Whatever,” she says, turning to the kitchen regardless. As she heads to the doorway, Libra passes a cursory glance at the three by the table. All eyes are on him, expectant and ready to help if needed. He fights back gulping down some nervousness. He’s never experienced seeing so many people so _eager_ to do anything with him, and that warm, fluttery feeling is returning tenfold.

“Uh…” he begins, looking every which way except for their eyes. He feels a blush coming on, and it only makes him feel more embarrassed. “Would you like to go help, too?”

The smiles on their faces become full-blown grins as they nod excitedly, and how could he refuse such genuine kindness? As the four of them head into the kitchen with Undyne, Libra briefly wonders what kind of mess they’ll make with so many working in the kitchen for simple milkshakes. That doesn’t matter, though, because he is just too happy to care about the consequences at the moment. Yes, right now, he’s around people who care about each other, and by extension, hopefully, him as well. And he is starting to care for them greatly, too. He just wants to spend more time with them and not worry about anything else.

* * *

 

Well, Libra never would have expected this to happen.

“A-are you sure this is all–”

“We called the Que– I mean, we called Toriel and she gave us the okay. We’re staying for dinner, punk, and we’re cooking!”

“I FOUND THE TOMATO SAUCE!”

“Great, Paps. Put ‘em here.”

“SANS, I AM NOT PUTTING TOMATO SAUCE IN YOUR GLASS!”

“Would you dorks be QUIET?!” Undyne growls, eye casting a glare on both skeletons before turning back to stirring the pasta. “Papyrus, start working on the sauce, and Sans, get your lazy butt off the counter if you’re not gonna help!”

“But I don’t have a butt,” he says, his grin widening at the sight of Undyne’s scowl. “Heh, fine, I don’t wanna _stir_ up trouble, or Libra here is gonna think I ain’t _knife_.”

“I could never,” he says.

“Get out of this kitchen,” the redhead sneers, stirring the pasta harder. The skeleton snickers, hopping off the counter, but not leaving like she wants. Instead, he leans over to Libra’s side, watching nonchalantly as he cuts up hotdogs, surprisingly.

“You can put hotdogs on spaghetti?” he asks. Libra glances at him, quiet surprise in his eyes when he sees the other’s curiosity, before he smiles at the other.

“It’s not uncommon,” the young man answers. “Some people just prefer meatballs over it, I guess. But these are usually for kids at parties, so I’m not surprised you haven’t seen anyone do it.”

“Huh,” the skeleton mutters, falling silent.

Libra and the rest continue with their task as Sans simply sits back and watches the chaos wind down. Frisk is helping Papyrus get other ingredients he’d need for the sauce, Undyne is finally taking out the pasta from the water and placing them on a big glass bowl. Libra gives the young Ambassador the cut up hotdogs to bring to Papyrus before heading over to the fridge. They end up settling to make the milkshakes last after Frisk’s call to Toriel telling her that they’ll be staying over. While Libra is happy he gets to spend more time with his friends in general, he is a bit wary of the time. The multiverse essence is its most active at night, however strange that is, and he’s always been watchful of the spikes of pressure that could surround his body without anyone knowing. He’s not sure if the energy being would make its appearance now or not, so this shindig they have going might be a distraction to that.

He shakes his head. No, he isn’t going to think of his newfound friends, and anything he does with them, as distractions. If anything, it’s his mission that’s distracting him from being completely happy with his friends. The young man forces all thoughts about his mission in the deepest part of his mind, locking them away for another time. Tonight, he’s just going to be happy. He isn’t going to bring himself down, he’s been doing that far too much for his own liking.

A tug on his shirt pulls him out of his thoughts, and he glances to his side to see Frisk gazing at him in silent worry. He smiles and pats their head, opening the freezer with his other hand and taking out two plastic bags.

“I’m fine,” he says, truthfully this time. “Let’s get these milkshakes going, okay?” He waits for the child to nod, and he heads back to the counter where the blender has been set up. He sees Sans sifting through his kitchen cabinet and grabs a bottle of ketchup, eyeing it in a way the young man can’t quite place. The skeleton catches him staring and smirks, holding the bottle up with a questioning gaze.

“What?” the Zodiac asks, not getting it.

“You use this?” the other questions, glancing briefly at the bottle and back to him, something intent clear in his eyes that the other still can’t make out.

“I–”

“SANS, GET YOUR HANDS OFF THAT BOTTLE!” Papyrus is upon Sans in an instant, taking the bottle from him and stomping back to his station. Sans shrugs, but disappointment briefly replaces the glint in his eyes before fading as quickly as it appeared. Great, now he’s curious. He would have to ask Sans about his fixation on ketchup later. The smell of spaghetti sauce permeates in the air, and Libra’s stomach grumbles quietly. Oh, he’s definitely hungry for some pasta right this second.

“Sans, can you get the chocolate from the fridge, please?” As the skeleton follows Libra’s request, he begins to measure how much he’ll use up. It turns out he would need to use all of them. Sighing, the young man’s attention is brought back to Sans when he approaches with a number of chocolate bars, a carton of milk, and a bottle of chocolate syrup.

“Never answered my question,” he mutters as he passes them over to Libra. “You use ketchup often, kid?”

“Uh, sometimes, but not always…” he answers, thanking the skeleton as he received the chocolate. As he unwraps and breaks the chocolate bars with Frisk, the latter stealing a bite or two before handing them back, he asks, “What did you want with the ketchup, Sans?”

“Nothin’,” a casual shrug, adding, “Ya sure you ain’t usin’ it?”

“Only sometimes,” he repeats.

“Can I have it?”

“Depends; will you tell me what you’re going to do with it?” He drops the chocolate bits into the blender and lathers it with syrup and two small cups of milk before shutting it with the lid. As he activates the blender on a soft setting, he looks at Sans. He only shrugs, not looking at him. Libra could see a faint, bluish hue painting his cheekbones. He doesn’t know what it is.

“Depends,” he shoots back. “You gonna give it to me when I tell ya?”

“Well, if you really want it…” Libra trails off, turning the blender off and making sure the gooey chocolate substance stays syrupy. Good, no left out blocks. He starts putting the NiceCream in when Papyrus speaks.

“SANS, I HOPE YOU’RE NOT PERSUADING LIBRA TO GIVE YOU KETCHUP,” he says. “I AM NOT LETTING THIS BOTTLE OUT OF MY SIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT.”

“Paps…” he hears Sans mutter under his breath. He looks so disappointed, but Libra can’t do anything about it since Papyrus is adamant about keeping the bottle away from him.

“Why do you want ketchup so badly, Sans?” He turns on the blender again, chuckling quietly at Frisk’s intent gaze on the chocolate-filled drink. His cheekbones color further and it finally clicks that he must be blushing.

“It’s… good,” he answers. Too vague for Libra’s taste, but he could pull out a guess.

“Sorry if this is rude,” the young man begins, glancing at the other’s direction. He still isn’t looking, so he continues. “Sans, do you… drink the stuff?” At this, Sans blinks, blush intensifying as he tugs the collar of his shirt. How cute.

“M-maybe…” the skeleton mutters, unable to look at him directly as he does. Ah, so that’s why he wants it. It’s something new to him, but it doesn’t sound as weird as he’s making it out to be.

“Maybe some other time,” Libra assures him with a pat on the shoulder, turning off the blender once more and adding the ice in. Once he sets the lid back, Frisk raises their hand before he presses the blender on. They point to themselves, and then the blender.

“You want to man the blender?” Libra asks, earning a nod from the young Ambassador. He laughs, “All right, have fun with that!”

With the spaghetti and milkshakes almost done, someone needs to begin setting up the table in the dining room. Frisk lets Libra take over the blender again and decides to help Sans with setting up the next room. Undyne is taste-testing Papyrus’s sauce while Libra adds the finishing touches to their shakes. After deeming it perfect, he unhooks the blender’s pitcher from the device and heads over to the dining room with both it and more chocolate syrup. As he pours milkshake in each of the glasses the two set before, he hums out a tune, moving and shaking to the music in his head. He isn’t aware of the fact that Frisk and Sans are just outside, talking about something that’s muffled by the only thing barring them; a glass door that they can see through.

* * *

 

Everyone is seated and eating soon. Libra’s sitting across the shorter skeleton, Papyrus beside his brother and Undyne at the end. He’s seated beside Frisk, the child silently eating the spaghetti with a smile.

“You did great on the sauce, Papyrus,” Libra says, taking another bite of the spaghetti. “And this is your first time including hotdogs on your sauces?”

“YES,” he answers, rolling more spaghetti onto his fork and taking the entire thing in his mouth. He swallows audibly before adding, “I WAS NOT AWARE IT WOULD STILL BE DELICIOUS. OF COURSE, ANYTHING THE GREAT PAPYRUS MAKES IS ALWAYS DELICIOUS!”

“Anything less would be im- _pasta_ -ble,” Sans voices out, still eyeing the ketchup bottle on Papyrus’s far side.

“SANS STOP,” Papyrus exclaims.

“So, Libra,” Undyne points her fork at him. “Have any plans in the morning?”

“I was thinking of jogging around town again with you guys,” he answers, rolling his fork along his plate. “I do need to get my energy back after two days of being cooped up.”

“Anything else?” she continues to ask.

“Well, there’s the gardening with the King and Sans…” he mutters, “and later afternoon, studying with Frisk and Toriel.”

“Great!” Undyne jabs her fork back on the plate and bites a forkful of spaghetti. “Meet me tomorrow at Cavern Falls, before dawn.”

“Cavern falls…?”

“IT’S A CAVERN BEHIND A WATERFALL,” Papyrus supplies. “THE RIVERPERSON LIVES SOMEWHERE THERE… MAYBE. BUT WHY ARE WE TAKING THE HUMAN TO CAVERN FALLS?”

“Nah, just me,” the redhead says. “We start the same as always, Papyrus. I’m gonna go show Libra something cool!”

“LET ME COME ALONG! PLEASE?” There are sparkles in his eyes again. Libra is still somewhat amazed that he can do that. Maybe Sans can do the same thing, too? He’s only ever changed the shapes of the lights in his eyes, but they never sparkled or glittered like Papyrus’s.

“No can do, Paps.” Undyne shakes her head. “Unless you want a wonder hug, maybe…”

“YOU ENJOY YOUR SUSPICIOUS DAWN MEETING,” Papyrus seems indignant, more upset, but lets it go quickly. Libra is just silent, questioning eyes meeting Undyne’s hard and determined one. She’s waiting for his answer, and she’s not going to take no as one.

“…All right,” he breathes out, taking a sip out of his milkshake. “How do I find Cavern Falls?”

“Just follow the river on the mountain going in,” she answers. “It’s only the one, anyway. Maybe I can find the Riverperson and ask them to give you a ride up.”

“Okay,” he mutters once again, and dinner resumes with lighter, more casual topics. Everyone is still excited for anime tomorrow night, and Frisk is excited to pass the essay he helped them make to the teacher tomorrow. Eventually, dinner finishes and they clean up like a well-oiled machine. It takes them less than half an hour to get everything spick and span again, and after a few more minutes of lounging around in the living room, Frisk receives a text from Toriel, telling them to go home.

“See you on Cavern Falls tomorrow, all right?” Undyne reminds him. All of them are standing by the door, Libra inside and holding the door open for them.

“Before dawn, I understand,” Libra reassures her. “I am still a bit nervous about what it is you have planned for me…”

“Don’t worry about it,” she says, patting his back none too gently. “Just don’t forget. Well, we gotta run. We wouldn’t want Toriel getting mad at me for making Frisk stay up too late on a school night.”

“I understand,” he says again. “I had a lot of fun tonight… Perhaps we could do this again?”

“OF COURSE, FRIEND!” Papyrus agrees, grabbing him and bringing him in for a hug. Again, he’s surprised by the skeleton’s strength, but not as much as before. As he puts him down, the lanky skeleton steps back a bit.

“WELL, IT IS TIME TO GO,” he says. “HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, FRIEND LIBRA!”

“Have a good night,” he repeats. He watches as Undyne and Frisk leave first, followed by Papyrus. Sans stays for a moment, and beat of silence hovers over them as the others gain distance from them and the house. After a while, before Libra could say anything, he begins to walk towards the door. Glancing at the young man, he gives him a small, reassuring smile.

“Relax, kid,” he says, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. “Undyne won’t hurt ya.”

“Do you know anything…?” His tone is measured, surprise evident on his face. He doesn’t remember letting his expression fall from worry to fear. How did Sans see through him so easily?

“Eh,” he gives a light-hearted shrug. “Not really, but you’re feeling a bit _rattled_. I can feel it _in my bones_.”

“Oh…” He stands there for a moment, regarding the other silently. “I’ll… try to relax. Thank you, Sans.”

“Okay,” he says, grinning now. “Better get goin’ or Paps might come back runnin’.”

“How will you catch up with them?” Libra asks, poking his head out for a moment. They’ve already disappeared from this block, which means they’re almost at the marketplace.

“I have a shortcut,” is all he says before he starts walking out and away. “See ya, kid. Let’s do this again sometime.”

“Oh, o-okay…” He waves a hand at Sans even though he won’t see it, and closes the door with a click. As happy as the day was in general, Undyne’s invitation is making him slightly anxious.

He shrugs. Oh well, Undyne isn’t the type to hurt a friend on purpose, at least. Even Sans assured that he won’t be hurt.

He’s just going to have to find out tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AwXKJoKJz4) Libra's humming while he's pouring milkshakes. Fight me.


	8. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Libra does his best to stay calm for his upcoming meeting with Undyne. It doesn't work out. He ends up going to a bar and getting comfort from the last person he thought he'd get it from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a dweeb.
> 
> I apologize for the sudden two/three-week hiatus. My brain does that sometimes... Turns itself off and absolutely nothing materializes. But anyway, with the help of my wonderful friends, I finally managed to get a chapter out! So here you go! Have fun seeing Libra topple over!

He thought he had it under control. He thought it wouldn’t get to him.

But here he is now, nearly three hours after everyone had left, knees tucked to his chest as he tries to put his overworking mind to rest. The unfortunate disadvantage of being critically analytical; Libra knows he can’t hold out until tomorrow, yet he had agreed to Undyne’s request. He should’ve persisted to go there tonight, but he also didn’t want to keep her away from anything she might be doing. Plus, everyone needs their rest, so what she said earlier was for the best.

It still doesn’t stop him from worrying so much about what might happen there, though.

He knows little to nothing of Cavern Falls, he’s only heard about it twice; from the reports STARS had given him, and from Undyne earlier. There’s no reason for him to know more about it, anyway. It’s most likely that it won’t have anything to do with his mission, right? But that’s beside the point, and he knows that. He just wishes his mind would realize that too and calms down. The reassurances Sans gave him earlier are ringing a bit more hollow than he would have like, and it’s only making him fear the worst. There are so many things to worry about, so many things that could go wrong; Undyne’s _talk_ , potential skirmishes with the multiverse essence, the potential of his cover being blown…

And then there’s Sans, the Monster that he wants to befriend yet always fails to do so on some level. He’s been a good enough person to Libra, more or less. They have spent the entire month competing on who gets to buy more food for the other after Libra left the Nicecream for him on that one day. He almost won, but Sans still has a job, and bought him a very expensive steak in the shape of a rectangular robot. He doesn’t have the monetary capacity to compete with that one, and so he let Sans win. Either way, he’s happy, just to see his satisfaction through that grin of his.

There are still some things that are making him reserved when around him, though. Sans likes to ask questions that are supposed to be casual and normal, for example, but don’t strike the Zodiac as such because he’s anything but. He hasn’t told anyone of his orphan status after the little incident with Asgore, and he plans to keep it that way, at least. No one needs to know his sob story, because he’s never known it himself. If Sans doesn’t stop asking those questions, he doesn’t know whether to talk to him about it or not.

If he’s to look at it on a logical side, he should see that the skeleton has been nothing but good to him, and so are the rest of his friends. They should have no problem accepting him regardless of his past. But no matter how much reason he puts in it, how much he tries to rationalize that there’s nothing wrong and everything is going to be fine, there’s the voice in his head, always so loud and unnerving whenever he’s alone, that’s saying otherwise.

_No one needs to know_ , one says, _you’ll just leave them in the end anyway_.

_You’re just imagining it_ , another laughs, _why would they ever consider you a friend_?

_It’s useless_ , one more sighs, _it doesn’t matter what you do. They’ll never accept you_.

The worst thing is he knows that everything his thoughts are saying is true. To some extent, they’ll never be able to fully trust him. They would see how many secrets his keeping from them, and they will eventually grow too suspicious to even approach him. This, in turn, would turn to rejection. He would never be a true friend to any of them, he’s too afraid to open up, and he can’t do anything about it. Plus, after the mission’s done, he would just leave. He made the mistake of interacting with them in the first place, and it’d be his fault if he gets hurt once he leaves. There is no escaping that inevitability.

Libra stretches his legs back on the bed, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Counting down from ten, he begins to list positive things that have happened this month. Think about how excited he felt when he first entered Monster Town, a deep breath in and out. His excitement at being called a friend by Papyrus; more breaths. The whoopee cushion trick Sans did on their first real meeting; more deep breaths. Eventually, by the time he’s down to zero, he doesn’t feel a whole lot calmer, but he can think more clearly now. He needs air, but he can’t go out how he is. He feels snot and tears staining his face, and he’s disgusted that it dirtied his clothes, too. Moving to stand beside the bed, he feels his legs give out, so he sits down unceremoniously until he finds the strength to move again. A rough gasp escapes his lips, frustration and helplessness building up in his chest. He needs… _help_. He knows it, but Capricorn isn’t here. How he wishes that she is, but that isn’t the case, so now he needs to deal with it on his own.

Libra at least knows how to handle this anxiety of his before it gets way too out of hand. On this level, he can still manage to do something before he completely breaks down. He needs to calm down some, delay it if he can’t completely stop it so he can be more prepared for it. He heads straight for the shower, tossing his glasses carelessly onto the bed. The shower can help, he thinks, maybe. Whatever the case, he has another idea of what else he’s supposed to do in this kind of predicament.

* * *

 

_Get out and get away from familiar places and go to newer ones, places that make you think of it instead of the ones bothering you_ , he remembers the doctor on the video say. That’s one of the many advice articles he’s found on the Internet the night after his first attack. He’s been careful about not having these types of incidents happen again for the past few weeks, yes, but there are times like these when he simply can’t control himself. Libra is still overwhelmed by the fact that he even has it, as he never suffered through it during his time at STARS, but there’s no use lingering anywhere near those memories. There is also no use staying at home, too. His mind just doesn’t want him to sleep, and the Zodiac reasons that the fresh cool air could help him wind down, too.

So there he is, walking along the sidewalk towards the marketplace. He’s well aware of the fact that there would be less people there now that it’s closer to midnight, and he confirms this as he rounds the corner to see that the lively chatter he hears here every day has died down to quiet whispers by late night taverns and stores. With the myriad of lanterns turned off for tonight and only a few lights from within the buildings are left illuminating the area, it seems more abandoned, like those monster-inhabited ghost towns most people write in their stories. He’s seen scarier places, so it doesn’t bug him as much as his anxiety does. The walk is already doing wonders for him, at least. He’s not thinking about anything else besides the tacky, B-rated horror films Capricorn has made him watch before as a kid. It would frighten him a bit, but they would only laugh it off later.

Libra stops in front of a small building with a giant, neon sign plastered on top of it. The orange glow is barely noticeable over the lights seeping out through the windows of what’s known as _Grillby’s Bar-n-Grill_. He could hear more people in there than out here, and a muffled echo of a lively tune rises just barely above the chatter, so this must be the place where most people come to at night. It is a bar, after all. Curiosity and fear dance along his thoughts, debating on taking a chance at the new place. The citizens of this town don’t really strike him as shady, though, so he let curiosity take over and he pushes the door open. The sound of a bell ringing barely registers to him as the sound finally hits him in waves. It is much louder inside, after all.

Heads turn to see the new arrival, but he only recognizes the pair of hooded figures with partially revealed snouts. Behind them, all gathered in a rounded table playing cards, are other dog-like Monsters of varying sizes. The biggest one in full armor is looking at him with unfocused eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile as he starts walking closer to them. The Zodiac takes solace in the familiarity of Dogamy and Dogaressa as he waves at them and they wave back.

“Libra, how nice–” “–to see you again.”

“Good evening,” he says, smiling a little. He slows to a stop just a few steps in front of them and regards everyone in the table with a tip of his head. The other dogs seem to pay him no mind, the biggest of them all giving a bark of acknowledgement before they return to their card game. The other one seems to be losing to himself, confusing Libra for a good moment before the married couple’s voices cuts through the background noise.

“What are you doing–” “–out so late?”

“O-oh, I just needed to walk for a bit,” he answers, shrugging as innocently as he could. No need to involved any of them in his personal dilemma; he hardly knows any of them anyway. “I can’t sleep.”

“Oh, in that case…” “…you are welcome here.” The two tip their heads in a nod in his direction, and he chuckles sheepishly in response. It’s nice to know that these two are so accepting, as well as everyone else in this Town, it seems.

“I love walks,” he hears a low, gruff growl beside Dogamy. He spots another canine, smoking what seems to look like a bone-shaped object. He has no idea what it is, but if he’s smoking it, he decides that it would be best stay away from it. The young man tilts his head slightly to regard the man behind the other, light brown eyes hidden behind a thick pair of glasses.

“Um, hello there…” he mutters, friendly smile in place. “If you want, we can go for walks together sometime. I’m Libra. It’s nice to meet you, um…”

The dog’s seemingly always glaring eyes glances at him from the side, his cigar, or whatever the object is, moving to and fro as if in contemplation. After a moment or two, the canine takes the object out of his mouth and blows some smoke out, sighing in relief before regarding him once more.

“Doggo,” he says. “And yeah, sure, that’d be nice. Just keep shaking like that so I can always see you.”

“Shaking?” It is then that Libra notices that he is, in fact, shaking. His whole body is still trembling slightly, only intensifying as he finally notices this little detail. Sweat begins to dot his forehead as he nervously glances around, Doggo giving him a curious look while the others grow concerned.

Before anyone could ask, as he is sure they would, another ring by the door catches their attention. Everyone seems to perk up immediately at the sight of the newcomer, but Libra is too busy worrying about collapsing from his spot if he moves that he doesn’t turn around. He gulps down a lump forming in his throat as he hears the people greet the apparent regular, as everyone seems to know him rather well, hearing him step closer and closer to the dogs’ table.

“Hey, Sans…” “Hi, Sans…”

“Heya, Sansy~”

And just like that, it’s as if the walk has never happened at all, he’s back to the quivering mess that he is, only barely keeping it together in front of the group of Monsters and one the reasons causing it. The thumps of his sneakers move closer and closer to where the young man is, and he still couldn’t manage to turn around. The other monsters go back to their previous routine already, probably Sans has finished regarding them silently if at all. He seems quite popular enough, so it must have been the former. As each nerve wracking step overtakes his senses, his stomach begins to drop. Sans is one of the reasons why he’s been having a hard time calming his thoughts, he can’t see him like this! He won’t allow it, or he wouldn’t if the situation hasn’t already spiraled out of his control.

A bony hand on his shoulder jolts him from his thoughts, making him gasp, flinch backward and bump his back on his chest. Another hand grips firmly on his other shoulder, steadying him as he nearly topples over himself in front of everyone. This anxiety thing is getting immensely uncomfortable now, as he never thought he would be this out of sorts from being so close to someone who hasn’t done a single thing his mind is imagining.

“Hey, pal, it’s just me.” Fingers move to try and ease out the tension on Libra’s shoulders, and as appreciative as he is of the gesture, he doesn’t feel as comfortable looking him in the eyes when he turns him around. The skeleton is still taller than him despite being on the shorter side. Most of the Monsters he’s met are six feet or higher.

“H-hey, S-sa…Sans,” he manages to breathe out, choosing to look at the pattern of his shirt instead of his face. His chest feels tight, and he feels constricted, trapped. He just can’t look at him, or else he’ll see those questioning eyes of his again. Those eyes still seek answers to common questions that he knows the answer to, but is afraid to share with anyone at all. How can he manage to look Sans in the eye and tell him those answers. He would be pitied, that much he’s sure, and that’s the one thing he doesn’t want anyone to do. Most of it, though, is probably just in his head, but he’s still caught between having a panic attack and controlling said anxiety to make sure that what he’s thinking about is real or not.

The latter must have noticed his complete unease, if the trembling of his shoulders haven’t already given it away, as he quickly but gently guides him to one of the empty booths near the bar. As he settles Libra on one of the cozy leather seats, Sans sits across from him, hands inside his jacket’s pockets as he looks at the other, the lights in his sockets wide but slightly dim.

“Somethin’ botherin’ ya tonight, buddy?” he asks, his tone light but still concerned. Libra winces at the question, still more questions from the skeleton he can’t answer. More reason for him not to put his trust on a Human who just entered their life with absolutely no context whatsoever. He doesn’t answer, not that he has a voice to answer with in the first place, but Sans remains patient, not probing for any more than his silence. A few moments later, a Monster comes by their table. A literal man on fire, except he’s wearing clothes a tad bit formal for a bar-n-grill, with glasses on his face that doesn’t seem to burn or fall away. He looks at Libra, who shrinks back in his seat slightly, and then at Sans, who is just grinning like he normally does.

“Hey, Grillbz,” the skeleton regards him casually. “Just the usual for me, and…”

He catches them observing him, yet he still refuses to meet either of their gazes. His throat feels dry, and he still couldn’t find his voice, still too nervous to say something wrong in front of Sans. Libra lowers his head to hide further from the two of them.

“Human Special,” he hears the skeleton mutter. The clicking of the fire elemental’s shoes on the wooden floor grows distant, presumably to make and get their orders. Grillby, he assumes from how the other nicknames him, doesn’t say anything about his behavior, which is good. He’s working on that, really, he is.

“Kinda rare to see ya out this time of night,” the skeleton begins, tapping a bony finger against the table. Somehow, the gentle rhythm sounds soothing, if not totally distracting. “Got something on your mind?”

_A lot_ , Libra wants to say. But damn it all to hell if his voice works when he wants to at the moment. Not wanting to seem any more rude than he already thinks he’s being, he simply nods at Sans’ general direction. He takes the answer with a sound of acknowledgement, followed by the rustling of fabric as he moves a bit.

“Right, I’m not gonna force ya to talk about it or anything,” he pauses for a breath, “but lemme know if I can help ya out in any way, got it?” He sounds so concerned and sincere that the Zodiac is starting to chide himself for even thinking badly of the other. He isn’t trying to invade his privacy, and he only assumed so because he’s so paranoid of getting caught, too cautious to let his guard down even with those who just want to know him. It’s gotten so bad that he’s been thinking ill of them, to the point that he’s even hurting himself. Libra doesn’t raise his head, but still nods at the Monster in front of him. Seemingly satisfied with that response, the two of them sit silently as they wait for their order.

He feels so stupid now, so mean for even thinking badly of him in the first place. Now he has a new problem to think about, and that doesn’t bode well for him. He further shrinks into his seat, shaky hands grasping his jacket’s hood to put over his head. Hopefully, shrouding himself in the dark would make him disappear from this place, to somewhere else where he doesn’t feel Sans’ gaze _still_ observing him.

_Please stop looking at me_ , his thoughts repeat over and over. _Or else I’ll crack…_  

* * *

 

Their food arrives not a moment later, but Libra doesn’t look up at all. The smell of a freshly cooked burger rouses him from his stupor only a little, because he knows his stomach is in knots and won’t be able to hold food at the moment. Such a waste of a perfectly good burger…

Sans doesn’t say anything at all, still silently observing him. Worry is evident in his intent, but he doesn’t voice anything out. He’s so worried, and the Zodiac is being despondent. It makes him feel sick, but not because of Sans’ actions.

“…I’m sorry,” he finally manages to say, but only in a rasped whisper. Blinking, he realizes that he’s crying again, and that realization only intensifies the action as he lets out a pathetic sob.

“What?” he hears the skeleton question, and he couldn’t help the shuddering breath that escapes his lips.

“I-I said, I’m sorry…” he apologizes once more, voice breaking but he’s fighting to keep it straight. He hears plates moving, and he thinks Sans must be putting them aside somewhere. His voice comes in a hush, deep, comforting and soothing that it almost lulls the young man to sleep.

“Buddy, do me a favor and fill me in on what you did wrong?” Libra flinches slightly at the question, but Sans isn’t done talking. “’Cause, uh, as far as we’ve hung out, you’ve been too nice. Nicest human I’ve met so far, really. Uh, countin’ Frisk out, of course. So I dunno what you’re apologizin’ for, _tibia_ -nest.” He still doesn’t look at Sans then, but he almost wants to. He’s not angry at him, so that’s good.

“Libra, look at me.” The mention of his name alone would have been more than enough to rouse him from his tear-stricken stupor. Slowly, the teen’s head looks up, meeting the white pinpricks of the skeleton’s eye sockets. His grin replaced by a sided smile, he nods approvingly.

“Great job,” he commends, “proud of ya.”

“S-sorry…” a sniffle follows his apology, but Sans simply shakes his head.

“You’re fine,” he assures. “No pressure here, just you and me, and that tacky jukebox playin’ surprisingly good music.” He chuckles a bit at that, but still smiles at Libra. The skeleton brings back his plate in front of him, and he finally gets to see the mouthwatering dish in front of him. A big slab of burger bathed in a sauce that he isn’t familiar with but smells good anyway, and a pile of crisp fries decorating the edges. There’s also a tall glass with a straw of what he assumes to be orange juice beside it, and he feels so hungry all of a sudden.

“Eat up if ya can,” Sans suggests, pushing the plate closer to him. “If you wanna talk about what’s botherin’ ya, I’m all ears. Well, all _bones_ , but you get the idea.”

A dry chuckle bubbles forth from his lips, but he finally feels that he could move his hands again. He shrugs off the hood, letting it rest down behind him once more, and slowly starts to pick up the utensils laid out in front of him. From across his seat, Sans nods again and winks at him, a bottle of ketchup in one bony hand and the other in his jacket’s pocket. He observes him like that; one socket closed as he tips the bottle to his mouth every now and then to drink from it. Libra doesn’t have the faintest of clues as to how he even manages to stomach the sensation of drinking raw ketchup, but he chalks it up again to magic. The skeleton is simply too full of mysteries to even begin scratching at the surface of it.

Eventually, the Zodiac finishes his burger, even through Sans’ constant gaze. He feels a bit conscious about eating too quickly, but he’s simply glad that he’s feeling a whole lot calmer now. He realizes that, no matter how valid his thoughts are, a little assurance can help block it out. He still thinks about it now, but it’s simply a quiet echo at the very back of his mind. The only thing on his mind now is how this encounter of theirs could change their still rocky friendship. On the one hand, Libra could pretend that he was just having a bad day, and Sans wouldn’t ask anything about it unless he wants to talk about it, just like he assured him earlier. But, on the other hand, there’s this sick, twisting guilt in his stomach at the thought of lying to them at all. Hiding, he could do just fine. He’s been doing that for a month well enough, not a single one of them has seen him fighting the multiverse essence. Lying, though…

He takes hold of the tall glass, taking a long sip from the straw. The cold liquid washes down his nerves, calming him down some more. He doesn’t want to lie to them as much anymore, he decides, so if that means answering Sans’ questions to some extent, he’ll do it. Libra regards the skeleton in front of him, light brown eyes a bit puffy from crying. He’s still smiling, but his sockets aren’t focused on him anymore, only looking at his general direction.

“Sans…?” he starts, but trails off, thinking he hasn’t heard him. His grin returns at the mention of his name, though, eyes focusing back on the smaller one.

“Sup, buddy?” he asked, casual still with a hint of worry lacing his tone. Libra doesn’t waste any time, before his confidence goes again, he starts talking.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been answering your questions… You know the ones…” The ones about his past, the history of his childhood and how he got to Monster Town, those are the questions he’s referring to. He tries not to look away from him as his sockets start narrowing slightly, grin straining. Maybe it’s a bad idea to do this, after all. Before he could go on about it in his head, though, Sans speaks up, effectively derailing his train of thought.

“Heh, it’s fine, pal, no worries.” That is seriously not the answer he was expecting, but he’s relieved all the same. His shoulders relax (when had they been tense?) as the skeleton continues to talk, the deep baritone of his voice soothing if not completely calming.

“Look, I can’t speak up for ya or anythin’, but I’ve kinda been an ass to ya.” He admits while rubbing the back of his neck with his now bottle-free hand. “Thought you only get panic attacks from loud noises, so I’d been avoidin’ that… Never pegged ya for the anxious type, though, but that’s my mistake.”

“It’s okay…” Libra tries to tell him, but the surprise on his face is evident when the skeleton shakes his head, chuckling and giving him a knowing look.

“No, it ain’t,” he says. “You know it ain’t. You think what happened to ya earlier was okay?” He bites the inside of his cheek and shakes his head, causing the skeleton to nod again. “You gotta tell people when you’re hearing things you don’t wanna. And you gotta tell me to shut my trap if I’m makin’ ya anxious.”

“You don’t gotta answer those questions,” he assures him quickly as Libra moves to speak. “That’s just me bein’ curious. You’ll answer them when you’re ready, but I’m not gonna ask ya about ‘em again.”

“Sans.”

“Seriously, pal.” Sans raises a bone brow and grins, nodding to the ketchup bottle beside him. “We can _ketchup_ on that subject when you’re feelin’ comfy enough to talk about it.”

The Zodiac chuckles at the pun, finally a smile that’s more genuine gracing his face. Sans seems pleased with himself after seeing that, the lights in his eyes brighter and wider compared to earlier.

“It’s gettin’ late,” he says. “Let’s pick up on less serious topics tomorrow, all right?”

“...Sure, Sans, I’d like that.” The Zodiac takes a moment to just breathe.

“You can always talk to me ‘bout pretty much anything, actually.” At the mention of this, Libra’s smile twitches a bit more upward.

“Even your choice of drinks?”

“Yeah, even that.” He lets out a chuckle, following his next words. “Fair warnin’, though, you might end up likin’ the stuff as much as I do by the time we finished talkin’.”

“I don’t think anyone can like ketchup as much as you.” Libra sighs tiredly. Goodness, he’s tired. And glad, happy, really. But mostly tired, exhausted. Just as he moves to suggest heading home now, he hears a light buzz from somewhere. He sees Sans fiddling with something in his pocket that, a few seconds later, he reveals to be his cell phone.

“It’s from Undyne,” he announces just loud enough for both of them to hear, “Says I should go tell Paps that she won’t be able to jog with him tomorrow, after all.”

“Oh, that’s too bad…” Papyrus would be upset, but he’s sure she would understand.

“She also told me to sneak into your house and tell you that Cavern Falls is cancelled tomorrow, too.” The skeleton snickers when Libra’s expression changes from brief shock to relief, only blinking a couple of times before recomposing himself.

“She did not say that,” he argues weakly.

“Sure she did,” Sans retorts with a chuckle. “Told me to break your glass door and that she’d pay for it later, too.”

“I have no choice but to believe you since she sent you that text and not me,” he lets out a defeated sigh. “I just hope she didn’t mean it…”

“I’m too lazy to do that, don’t worry.” Sans begins to slide out of his seat, carrying the bottle of ketchup with him. “Come on, pal, time to go home.”

“Right,” he agrees. He’s exhausted, that’s for sure, but it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Sans assured him now that he doesn’t need to answer those questions anymore until he’s ready. He’s not upsetting anyone, and tomorrow’s dreaded trip is cancelled. He couldn’t be any happier.

* * *

 

Sans returns to tell Libra that he’s paid for their meal, and this time it’s the truth. After reaching the Surface, he’s been working himself to the bone – pun intended – to pay Grillby back and then some, all his expenses from all the previous resets. He’s glad that the kid is feeling better now, at least. One less thing to worry about, he thinks. They exit Grillby’s after introducing the young man to the bartender and saying goodbye to the dog squad. He sees Libra’s attachment to those dogs, but doesn’t mention it. He doesn’t want him growing anxious over his observations.

Sans feels the cold touch of midnight’s wind, and glances sideways at his pal to see if he’s doing all right in the cold. He’s stretching his arms and sighing contently, arms stretched as if trying to embrace the breeze. He’s doing okay, that’s good, Nothing to worry about anymore.

_Shit_ , he curses inwardly. Now he’s the one worrying. He needs to watch how he talks to this one now. He doesn’t want to set him off again. Sighing inwardly, he turns to the other and grins, a bit forced but hopefully it’s dark enough that he doesn’t notice.

“Sure is dark tonight,” he comments idly. “Want a buddy to walk home with?”

He hears Libra hum in thought, hands behind him before glancing at Sans with a soft smile on his face. He shakes his head, refusing the offer.

“I think I can get home on my own,” he says. “Thanks for offering, though. Can I… maybe get something else?”

The skeleton tilts his head, equal parts confused and intrigued. Something else, what else could he offer to the kid to make him feel more comfortable around him?

“Uh, sure, pal,” he mutters. “What’d you have in mind?” There’s a few moments of silence before the young man in front of him brings his hands up on either side of him, reaching for him slightly. He gets the gesture almost immediately.

“Heh, hugs are nice,” he agrees to the silent question. “Sure, buddy, bring it ‘ere.” He holds out his arms, ready to receive the human at a moment’s notice. It takes a second, but with a smile and a sigh of relief, Libra closes the gap between them and wraps his arms around his neck, nearly nuzzling against the side of his skull. The contact surprises him a little, but he soon reciprocates and embraces the other lightly, not enough to squeeze or touch him in any way that’s deemed unnecessary.

The moment lasts longer than either of them thought, and when Libra finally lets go, he actually feels a bit disappointed that it ended. He was kind of getting used to the other’s body heat against him. Either way, he looks happier, so at least he’s done his job right.

“Thanks,” Libra mutters, sporting a faint blush that Sans tries to ignore. “And good night, Sans. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah… sure, see ya, buddy.” He waves the other off as he turns to leave, disappearing into the dark streets of the marketplace.

Libra doesn’t live too far from here, and there are zero crime rates in Monster Town. There’s absolutely no reason for him to worry. So why is he worrying? Why does he feel a need to walk him back home anyway, or at least keep watch until he gets home safely?

A soft chuckle escapes him, rumbling from within his chest. Curiosity breeds a lot of unexpected things, doesn’t it? Well, so long as it’s not hurting anyone, he’ll go with the flow. Casting one last glance at Libra’s general direction, he takes a step forward before disappearing into thin air.


	9. Panic! At the Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Libra gets another attack in the morning, and then meets Alphys the evening later. Well, so much for peace and anime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... another three weeks without an update. ; u ; I am so sorry... I'm afraid this is as fast as I can make of it from now on, as I'm currently restricted from my laptop due to health issues. I would have finished this earlier, too, if it wasn't for my constant procrastination.
> 
> Anyway, enough about that! The good news is I updated, yeah? And I won't stop updating, even if it takes me a while. College is gonna start up for me in three weeks, so I might not be able to update this every three weeks again... But! As I said, I won't stop updating this. Personal friends and some relatives (surprisingly) are supporting my writing, and they also want to see me succeed, especially outside of fan fiction. That's for another time, though, because I am not leaving this series unfinished. Let's keep this rolling, guys!
> 
> Also, I wanna mention something. Sans in this fic is like 60% UT!Sans, 20% UF!Sans, and 20% US!Sans. Those two others are gonna be showing in this chapter. ~~I love me a lowkey flirty Sans *slapped*~~
> 
> Well, anyway, very long Author's Note. Please, enjoy this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> PS. I like hugs, okay?

Libra wakes up a little later than usual this morning, but he still has plenty of time to get ready before lunch arrives. He missed having to give Papyrus and Undyne their cups of coffee during their morning jogs, but then he remembers that the redhead had sent Sans a text cancelling both the jog and their meeting. He can’t help the smile tugging at his lips to form, even though he’s worried that something might have happened to the fish Monster to suddenly cancel the day she announced it. He’s glad, though, that she postponed the meeting for whatever reason, so he could be better prepared for what’s to come in the future.

After crying all night and that talk with Sans, he feels refreshed, like crying actually did something other than bring him down again. Well, he has read somewhere that crying is something like a reset button for emotions; a way of flushing down the negatives so one can start anew with a fresh mindset. It’s a nice thought, something to get past the whole _crying is weak_ mentality everyone seems so hung up on for some reason.

A ding catches his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. He leaves the dining area to get the pieces of toast from the toaster, grabbing a small plate on the way. He’s just going to have a simple breakfast: bacon, a couple of eggs, and toast with some cold orange juice to quell the heat of summer. It’s starting to get a bit hotter by the day, so he’s adjusting to the fact that he can’t wear his jacket outside, unless he wants to die of heatstroke. He still ties it around his waist, though, a force of habit he doesn’t really want to break. He feels a sense of security, having his jacket around any part of his body.

Making his way back to the dining area, he sits back down and starts to eat, the thought of tonight’s events perking up his sullen expression.

So, tonight he’ll be sleeping over at Frisk’s home with their friends. While the young man has no exact clue as to what he did to be part of such an inclusive bonding activity, he has happily accepted the fact that they’re treating him like a friend. With that in mind, he decides to make sure that all the time he’s going to spend with them tonight is indeed worth it. He’s pretty sure that even lying on a couch together would be time well spent, as he never got to do something that lazy and unproductive back at STARS, so it should be an easy enough achievement. Still, the thought of staying up with them until tomorrow watching anime excites him.

He just can’t wait for tonight to roll by.

A knock on the door pulls him out of his thoughts, and for the first time, he’s actually a bit disappointed that it did. He wants nothing more than to just daydream of the many ways the lot of them could bond, for the sun to set already so he could be standing in front of the King’s home, waiting for the others to arrive and begin their sleepover. That has to wait until tonight actually comes along, he guesses with a quiet, resigning sigh. Huffing, he gets up from his seat, the sound of wood sliding against tiles a bit jarring in his ears, and makes his way out the kitchen, past the living room, and towards the front door.

As soon as he opens the door, he’s pulled out of his home and caged in the arms of a very loud and very concerned skeleton. He’s not touching the ground again, but he’s already expected that when Papyrus hugs him. Still, it’s a surprise to see him and Undyne, who’s lagging a bit behind on the front porch’s steps, at this time of day. She’s inspecting the columns and their sturdiness, giving the closest ones a light tap with the back of her knuckles before nodding with a huff.

“LIBRA, ARE YOU FEELING WELL?” Papyrus’s loud, concerned question makes him flinch and snap out of his staring. After a moment, the skeleton sets the human down and leans forward, gripping the other’s shoulders with a worried look on his face.

“W-what are you talking about, Papyrus?” he asks, genuinely confused with the whole ordeal. Had Sans told him about his breakdown last night? He locks those thoughts away as quickly as they came, mentally chiding himself for even having those doubtful thoughts. He already decided last night during the walk home that he’d be nicer to Sans this time. No more avoiding, and no more guarding. If he asks a question a bit too personal, he’ll tell him, just as he instructed.

“WELL, YOU WERE NOT IN YOUR USUAL SPOT WHEN I WENT JOGGING THIS MORNING,” he begins, worry furrowing his bone brows. “FIRST, IT WAS UNDYNE, AND THEN IT WAS YOU. I WAS VERY WORRIED!”

“Oh...” was the only response he manages to let out at the moment. What could he even say to calm Papyrus’s worries? Well, if he’s going to be truthful to Sans, he might as well extend courtesy to everyone, to be fair.

“I’m sorry, Papyrus,” he says, fixing him a small but reassuring smile. “I just had a rough night, and I couldn’t sleep easy. I woke up late.” It is true, technically, but he sees no need to discuss the details with the two of them. Moments like that he tends to consider private, just for two people to see a different side of each other.

Relief floods the lanky skeleton almost instantly, bringing him in for another hug. This time, though, he doesn’t lift the other up, and the contact is finished a moment after.

“I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOTH OF YOU ARE WELL,” Papyrus says, his smile back to full force. Resting his hands on his pelvis, he adds, “WHICH IS WHY THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ISSUING A MANDATORY FRIENDSHIP CHECK!”

“And now what the heck is that?” the fish woman from behind him asks. A curious brow rises from the young man, especially after Undyne’s question. So, even his best buddy doesn’t know what it is. So it must be new, then. Libra is also a bit confused by the skeleton’s declamation, but he doesn’t voice it out as he knows Papyrus would explain it anyway.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” the tall Monster laughs. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS MAKES SURE HIS FRIENDS ARE WELL ACCOUNTED FOR! NO NEED TO WORRY, IT IS VERY SIMPLE! JUST PUT A SMALL ROCK ON THE UPDOGG AND I WILL KNOW YOU’RE IN TIP TOP SHAPE.”

“Uh, what?” the Zodiac asks, clearly more confused by his friend’s explanation. The grin on his face certainly isn’t helping things get clearer, and Undyne is sighing audibly, quite loudly too.

“What’s… what’s updogg?” Libra’s curiosity finally takes hold, and he asks the skeleton about this strange term. If it’s a Monster thing, then he obviously isn’t going to know. But before he could dive into his thoughts once more, Papyrus lets out a triumphant cackle and slings an arm around his shoulder.

“NOTHING, WHAT’S UP WITH YOU?” Papyrus asks, laughing straight into his ear. The sound of thunder reverberates within his mind, replacing Papyrus’s voice and laughter, a flash of light amidst a deep memory in darkness. Each chuckle out of Papyrus gives the rumbling force more volume, ringing louder and louder against Libra’s ear.

He gasps and visibly flinches, shoulders tensing at the loudness of the unknown source. A shuddering breath leaves through his lips as Papyrus suddenly stops laughing, vision doubling as the other begins to rub his back as soothingly as he could. The thundering noise starts to fade, darkness leaving his doubled vision. A worried and apologetic expression decorates his face, and Libra tries not to focus on that right this moment. The ringing in his ears caused by his strange vision doesn’t feel like it’s going to stop soon, but he can make out the other’s muffled apologies as he is brought into yet another hug.

His desire to comfort Papyrus, to tell him that it isn’t his fault, falls silent as he remembered Sans’ words from last night. It isn’t all right that he’s like this, and he can’t keep saying that everything is fine all the time, either. He isn’t angry at Papyrus, not one bit, but he doesn’t want to tell him that what he’s done is okay. So he remains silent, wrapped in the arms of his bony friend as he tries to calm his panicking breaths. As erratic as Papyrus is, he can never stay upset at anything with him around. He feels Papyrus lift him, and he trembles as they reenter his house.

Being set down on the sofa doesn’t put his unnatural fear to rest, Papyrus twiddling his gloved phalanges together as he looks at Libra. Undyne has gone to the kitchen to get something, what it is, he doesn’t know. He could only hear the fish Monster’s rumbles from the kitchen while he works to calm himself down. Why is he so afraid of loud noises all of a sudden? Before Monster Town, these kinds of things never bothered him. In fact, loud noises were an everyday occurrence in his life, considering that training to use his Zodiac Gear was never a silent regimen. So why, out of all the moments in his life, did it have to happen here, right now?

Shaky breaths leave his mouth, ajar from the setting panic as well as the need to breathe in more air. The surprise from Papyrus’s intense volume starts to die down, but whatever peace he had this morning is definitely gone now.

“I-I’M SORRY,” he hears Papyrus say. “I’VE COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT… OH, FRIEND I AM SO SORRY!”

Libra simply puts a hand up in front of the other, pointer finger raised in a silent request to keep quiet. He keeps his head down, eyes closed as he focuses on his breathing, but since the skeleton isn’t talking anymore, he assumes that he gets the gesture. Thoughts start to form together again, and he quickly scrambles some together to remember more tips he got from the Internet. A breathing technique he’s come across and read over a couple of times flashes in his mind, and he attempts to follow the simple instructions set inside that one article.

He focuses and works his lungs to follow the breathing technique, mind set into making it work for him. The lanky skeleton is thankfully silent, but the young man could still feel waves of concern radiating out of him. The thought is appreciated, and after a few more tries of deep inhales and extended exhales, he finally feels his hammering heart start to calm down. Thoughts become clearer and sound begins to get more distinct, instead of the constant rush of blood with adrenaline and the strange sound of thunder that crashed on him when Papyrus laughed.

Slowly, Libra lowers his hand, uncurling and curling his fingers to get his blood flowing back in it again. Exhaustion creeps over his form, weighing down his body. Leaning back on the couch, Libra lets out a heavy sigh of relief, head tilting up to meet Papyrus’s worried gaze while a hand goes up to adjust his glasses. At least he’s finally calming down. The Internet can be full of inaccuracies, but it still helps sometimes.

“A-all better,” he murmurs, although anyone could tell that he still needs a few moments to recollect himself. “But… maybe no more shouting directly at me, please?” He still feels guilty about telling the other this. He thinks Papyrus shouldn’t be limited to do as he pleases just because it might set him off, and he doesn’t want to justify it by saying that he’s... well, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he may as well be sick.

The lanky skeleton only nods, teeth clapped tightly, and he figures he’s too afraid to speak. Libra feels so incredibly guilty, having his enthusiastic and energetic friend suddenly so silent because he’s afraid of hurting him. The Zodiac opens his mouth to speak, to give the sweetheart of a friend some semblance of assurance that he isn’t upset or angry at him, because he cannot stand to look at Papyrus when he’s so crestfallen and sad. But before he could utter a single word, he feels a familiar webby hand ruffle his hair, Undyne’s voice resounding from behind him.

“Don’t worry about it, Paps,” she says. “It’s no one’s fault, really.”

“I’m not mad,” he adds, taking the fish Monster’s hand off his head and resting it on his shoulder. He appreciates the reassuring squeeze as he smiles back at Papyrus’s apprehensive expression.

“BUT,” the skeleton starts, voice barely above a whisper. “I STARTLED YOU REALLY BADLY.”

“I’m going to be okay…” he says, although he hesitates to say soon. “It’s just… weird, you know?”

“Yeah,” Undyne agrees. He sees her other hand carrying a glass of water as she urges him to take it. “It’s hydrolyte solution. You’re gonna need to stay hydrated if you keep getting having those attacks.”

“Okay, thanks…” He accepts the glass and downs the drink in a single gulp, grimacing at the taste and gasping as he finishes it. The taste is indescribable, to say the least, but if Undyne says it’ll help, the aftertaste he’s going to have to bear.

“Rest up,” he hears Undyne instruct gently. “And don’t feel too bad, punk. You’re not the only person I know who gets like this.”

“ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ALPHYS, UNDYNE?” Papyrus asks. His voice is a little louder, but not enough to start the orchestra of thunder to ring in his ears again. This volume of Papyrus seems comfortable enough, and judging by the way he glances at Libra, he thinks so too.

“Yep,” the fish Monster answers. “Alphys doesn’t get it from loud noises, though… Sometimes, large crowds overwhelm her, so she tends to stay away from places with a lot of people.”

“Um,” Libra starts, looking up to try and spot Undyne’s face. He doesn’t get to, but he talks anyway. “Are you sure it’s all right for me to hear this? I don’t know Alphys…”

“She’s the one hosting the sleepover tonight,” the redhead clears, following with, “And it’s fine, it’s no secret around here, anyway. Uh, just checkin’, but you’re still on for tonight, right?”

“Y-yeah, of course,” he assures quickly, nodding and feeling Undyne’s firm grip on him loosen. “It’s the first thing on my mind when I woke up this morning. I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

“Good,” she says. “Come on, Paps, let’s head home.” Her hand completely leaves his shoulder and he finally manages to turn to the side to see her rounding the sofa to go to Papyrus’s side. He chances another glance at the lanky skeleton, who he finds is looking at him a bit worriedly, before smiling brightly at the young man.

“I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE STILL COMING TONIGHT!” he says, hands clasped together. “I WAS WORRIED I SCARED YOU OFF!”

“I would never be scared of you, Papyrus.” He gives him a warm smile. He’s noticed how he keeps the volume at that balanced constant they silently agreed upon when they looked at each other earlier, and it makes him feel happy if also a bit guilty. “If anything, this just makes me want to make it up to you. I kind of scared you a bit, didn’t I?”

“BUT IT WAS MY FAULT,” Papyrus interjects. “STILL, I’M HAPPY TO SEE YOU WELL SO QUICKLY.”

“Yeah, I kinda wanted to know,” Undyne mutters suddenly, her golden eye fixed on him with a furrowed brow. “How were you able to recover on your own this time? Great job, though.”

“I’ve been doing research on the Internet,” he admits, feeling sheepish for being praised. “With not much to do, I figured I should at least know what I’m dealing with, right?”

“Huh, all right,” the redhead shrugs. Toothy grin back in place, she pats the skeleton’s shoulder beside her. “Oh, I almost forgot! Bring your jammies to the sleepover tonight.”

“Jammies?” he repeats, and then realization dawns on him. “Oh, you mean my sleepwear? Sure, I will. Anything else I need to bring?”

“A PERSONAL PILLOW WILL ADD A NICE TOUCH!” Papyrus suggests, earning him a quiet chuckle and a nod from the Zodiac.

“All right,” he says. “What else?”

“That’s pretty much it.” Undyne states, scratching her cheek with her other hand. “Just bring the basics, and you’re set.”

“R-right…” Trailing off, brown eyes glance to the side, a drop of sweat rolling to the side of his cheek as he chuckles awkwardly. “The essentials for a sleepover, of course I know that….”

“Wait…” the redhead mutters, eye narrowing as she observes Libra’s behavior. “You… _do_ know what those are, right?”

“…Maybe?”

“God damn it, Libra.”

* * *

 

That night, Libra is trekking up the mountain towards the King’s house with a small backpack of what Undyne has told him are essentials when it comes to sleepovers. Granted, most of them are common items like a toothbrush, extra underwear, and some other things he doesn’t really want to list off in his head. It’s only for a night, anyway, and he doesn’t live that far down. Tugging the sleeves of his brown jacket, he keeps his focus on the fun he’s going to have tonight. Turning at the path that leads to the skeletons’ home, he catches sight of someone walking alone towards the same destination. Upon closer inspection, literally speeding a few paces near them, he finds that the person is Sans.

“Sans,” he calls, jogging slightly so he could walk in line with him. The skeleton turns his head with a hum, grin widening as he catches sight of the young man. He has a hand on his jacket’s pocket, and the other holding a messily packed overnight bag over his shoulder. He could tell it was messy because a sock is sticking out from the side where the zippers’ are supposed to meet, the lumpy exterior making it even more obvious to anyone who could see it. Sans must really not mind messes.

“Heya, buddy,” he replies, pinpricks of white shining brightly in the darkness that surrounds them. “Good to see ya. Been feelin’ kinda _bone_ ly walkin’ up here by myself, so you’ve come to my rescue just in time.”

“It’s kind of lonely walking out here, that’s for sure,” the Zodiac agrees, glancing at him from the side. He gives the other a small smile, who simply keeps his grin casual and relaxed. “I’m glad I could keep you company, at least.”

“Heh, me too.”

As comfortable silence stretches upon them, he wonders if he should tell Sans about his panic attack earlier. A small part of him wants to just to let it be, considering that it happened on accident and no one actually got hurt in the end. It really isn’t a big deal, now that he’s thinking about it more. There is the bigger, more inclusive part of himself, however, that wants him to open this up to the skeleton, especially since he’s decided to be more honest with him in the first place. Libra sighs, not really knowing what to do. There are far too many things to consider, far too many factors that seem unfair or unjust if he decides one thing over another, and he definitely doesn’t want to upset anyone by sharing this. It seems, though, that Sans has made the decision for him, surprising him as he speaks after clearing away his nonexistent throat.

“I, uh, heard about what happened earlier from Paps,” he begins, deep baritone a rumble that causes a faint hum in his ears. “Ya doin’ okay, pal?”

The young man takes a moment to consider that question, and when he glances to regard the other, he finds those pinpricks staring at him, and as if through him, as well. The small grin he’s wearing hides concern and sympathy, and Libra finds himself timid from the attention.

“I’m okay,” he answers, almost a mumble as shyness overtakes his confidence. “Hopefully, nothing surprises me too much tonight so it won’t happen again.”

“If it makes ya feel better,” the skeleton beside him says, winking for emphasis. “I’ll be keepin’ an eye socket out for ya.”

“Thanks,” the Zodiac sighs, relief evident as his shoulders relax. He doesn’t even bother remembering it, knowing it happens a lot nowadays. “That’s really sweet of you Sans, I appreciate it.”

He smiles warmly at the skeleton man, immensely happy to be on his good side now without worrying about the nagging questions or the anxious thoughts those bring.

“Good,” Sans chuckles. “’Cause I’m not doin’ it for free.”

“Oh, I have to pay?” Though there’s playfulness in his tone, Libra raises an eyebrow, clearly curious and suspicious about that statement.

“Nah, no cash,” he assures, his hand coming out of his jacket pocket to wave that idea off dismissively. Well, that just makes him even more curious, wanting to press for more information.

“Then, what do you want?” the young man pushes, and Sans has to take a moment to himself as he hums, the lights in his eyes staring up as he works on a thought.

“A gesture of goodwill is all I need, really.” Sans makes it a point to give a wink again, causing a very faint flutter of warmth to spread across the Zodiac’s chest despite himself.

“So… like a hug?” Libra asks, still unsure. He may or may not be joking, but the young man has simply decided to play along. Better to look like he doesn’t know much than to act like a know-it-all.

“Deal,” the skeleton proclaims, nodding slightly. “Keepin’ an eye socket out for ya, and in exchange, I get to give ya _bone-crushin’_ hugs whenever ya need it.”

“Wait, you were serious?” Libra turns his head to give the other a confused look, furrowing his brows when the skeleton merely chuckles. “Sans, are you serious?”

“No, I’m Sans. You just said it.”

“Sans!”

“Looks like ya need a hug right now.” He snickers, quieting down when the Zodiac doesn’t follow through, cheek puffing out as his eyes narrow at him. “What? It’s not like it doesn’t calm ya down, right?”

“I guess,” Libra shrugs, still eyeing him with furrowed brows. “It’s just… you don’t look like the type to hug people a lot, and you’re all bones, no offense.”

Sans simply shrugs back, expression slightly mischievous as he trains his eyes on the shorter male. “None taken, bud. And you’re right. I don’t hug people a lot, unless ya suddenly start askin’ for it a lot.”

“I will not, all right?” the young man huffs, eyes steering straight back at the path. “Maybe a pat on the head?”

“Whatever floats your boat, pal.”

“I can’t believe you’re still serious about this.” He’s chuckling, and there’s no animosity or disbelief in his tone, only a playful air at the thought of being patted on the head when he asks it.

The skeleton beside him simply huffs out a laugh, nodding in agreement. With that conversation over and done with, silence takes over for a moment until they near their destination. Libra could hear the familiar clang of pots and pans, as well as a few muffled shouting from Papyrus and Undyne. Over it, he could hear Toriel’s voice, melodious and commanding with an air of authority surrounding it as she tries to keep the ruckus inside in order. The two of them simply stand there for a few seconds, before Sans takes his hand out of his jacket’s pocket to knock on the door twice. It takes another moment of just standing there until the door opens, a batter-covered Frisk appearing from behind it.

“Heya, kiddo,” Sans says, giving them a lazy finger gun and winking at them. They laugh, covering their face with a batter-soaked hand.

“Good evening, Frisk,” Libra greets, nodding at the child with a soft chuckle. “Having fun in there already?” Frisk giggles, raising a thumb up at them and flicking some of the gooey substance on the floor.

“Frisk, please clean yourself up.” Toriel’s voice chimes in, her steps resounding from behind the door. She peeks her head out, towering over the three of them and smiling when spots the two new guests.

“Ah, Sans and Libra, there you two are!” She puts a paw on the child’s head, petting them lightly before ushering them inside. They pout, but comply, running back inside the house seconds before they hear a screaming Papyrus. Toriel simply looks over and smiles, a silent giggle passing her lips as she gazes at the events from inside fondly.

Sans, as he said earlier, has an eye on Libra, glancing at him from the side as the commotion transpires inside. While the sound is muffled by the house’s walls, Papyrus is still pretty loud. The Zodiac notices his stare, and assures him with a nod, smiling softly. Well, he really is keeping his word, isn’t he? Sans relaxes, eyes trailing up to Toriel with a friendly grin on his face.

“Hey Tori,” the skeleton says. “Don’tcha think Frisk looked a- _dough_ -rable in their jammies tonight?”

“Indeed,” she laughs, glancing back at them. “Still, I do hope this is not an attempt to _butter_ me up. You know I still cannot join tonight’s activities.”

“Never crossed my mind,” he shrugs, snickering at the pun. “At least I didn’t have to _whisk_ anythin’ by askin’ this time.”

“Only because you learned from your mis _cakes_.”

“P-pardon for interrupting,” Libra raises a timid hand, chuckling awkwardly as their attention focuses on him. “But, um… why aren’t you joining us tonight, Miss Toriel?”

“Oh, it slipped my mind that you are still quite new here, Libra.” She lets out a quiet laugh, opening the door fully now. “King Asgore and I are to attend a World Leader’s meeting outside of Mt. Ebott on the last Friday of every month to give a brief recount of our situation here.”

“I see,” he mutters, nodding in understanding. He raises his hand to his chin, humming silently before smiling up at the ex-Queen. “That doesn’t sound like a _sweet_ Friday night, huh?”

It takes the goat woman a moment, but she does laugh at the young man’s attempt at a pun, cheerful and clear even though he knows it isn’t delivered well. He’s glad that he got her to laugh, though, so at least it isn’t a full waste.

“Compared to spending the night with all of you, it does sound pretty _crumby_.” She giggles, giving him a wink. “Well, I am sure you would like to rest your legs after the trek up here. So please, come inside and I will call King Asgore so we may be off for the meeting.”

“Nice catchin’ up with ya, Tori.” Sans gives her a nod and a wide grin, which she returns with a smile and a nod of her own.

“Travel safety, Miss Toriel,” the young man says, giving her a small bow.

“Libra, simply Toriel is fine.” Toriel gives him a reassuring smile before she turns her back on them, venturing inside to find Asgore while also reminding the people in the kitchen to keep order.

The two head inside and Libra closes the door behind them, wincing slightly as they are greeted by the steady noise and chaos happening in the kitchen. The clanging of the pots and pans, combined with someone stomping their feet around, reminds him of the sound of thunder he heard earlier when he experienced that sudden panic attack. He starts to take deep, measured breaths, trying not to think about that moment. His grip on the doorknob tightens only slightly while he lowers his head, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing.

He must have been standing there for an awfully long time, or at least long enough for someone to notice, because one minute he’s standing there, and the next he’s pulled flush against someone’s chest. Opening his eyes, he sees the familiar blue of Sans’ jacket, the feeling of his bony hand rubbing soothing circles around his back.

“Jeez,” he hears Sans whisper. “If ya wanted a hug so badly, ya could’a just asked.” A soft laugh rumbles out of his ribcage, but the familiar tone of worry rings around it.

He’s shaking again, if only a little bit, and he refocuses his mind on his breathing, the need to calm down urgent else he’ll ruin his good mood for tonight. Sans tugs his hand off the doorknob and leads him to the living room, where the noise is at least muffled and blocked by the walls of the large room. Sitting him down on the sofa, he gives the young man some space and sits beside him, hands behind his skull as he leans back comfortably.

The noise begins to quiet down as the minutes tick by, the ringing in his ears fading away until it’s completely gone, as if it hadn’t happened in the first place. Lifting his head, he finds a bit of solace in the familiarity of the area, noting only a number of moved furniture for probably the purpose of accommodating multiple people.

“Feelin’ better, Libra?” the skeleton’s deep voice rumbles out, and he turns his head to see him glancing at him, unmoving from the comfortable spot he’s found.

“I guess…” he mutters, smiling weakly. He looks towards the doorway, hearing the muffled noises, but this time a lot quieter. “It’s suddenly so quiet…”

“Frisk came by, so I told ‘em to have the guys tone it down a bit.” Sans has a grin on his face, looking quite proud of his move, and it makes the younger smile, if just a little bit, that he’s willing to help so much now that he’s more open to him.

“Oh…” Libra takes another breath, sighing sadly. “You don’t think I stopped their fun, do you?”

“Nah, you’re fine.” If his hands aren’t occupied acting as resting pads behind his skull, he would have waved dismissively again. “They’re always havin’ fun, see. It ain’t always loud, either, so you’re good.”

“I see…” Another sigh, and this time it causes Sans to sit up from his spot, slinging an arm around the young man’s shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“Hey, you’re gonna be fine.” His assurance is paired with a small grin, not fully reaching his eyes like his normal one. “It took us a while to learn sign language for Frisk, but we did it anyway. Monsters are dedicated like that, so you don’t need to worry about ruinin’ any of our fun. No fun’s happenin’ when one of us is down, anyway.”

“Thanks…” is all he could manage to say. Sans nods to himself, letting the Zodiac go but not really moving from his spot. He doesn’t really know what else to say. He’s so incredibly happy that they include him in their group, even though he thinks he’s bringing everyone down. Still, the reassurances help, sometimes a lot. He’s going to have to pay everyone back someday, for being so nice to him like this.

Small footsteps echo in the hall outside, approaching the living room. Turning his head, he sees a yellow Monster, akin to a lizard he thinks, wearing a large pink shirt, _Japan Daisuki!_ written in front and a pair of baggy shorts.

“O-oh!” she exclaims, catching sight of Libra and adjusting her glasses. “Y-you must be t-the human Undyne m-mentioned…” At this, Libra fixes her a small smile.

“Um, you must be Alphys…” he says. “My name is Libra, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“Y-yes, I’m Alphys,” the Monster greets. She walks towards him and offers a hand, which he gladly accepts.

“S-so, how are t-things at STARS?”


	10. Monologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything turns out fine, but Libra keeps worrying despite the good and wonderful things happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take a breather, everything's fine...
> 
> Oh my God, I hate my brain.
> 
> Why do I always get huge bursts of inspiration whenever I'm nearing the end of something? In this case, it's two weeks until the end of my vacation, and I suddenly find myself unable to stop writing and working on this. This would have been so much more convenient had it happened about a month ago. :v
> 
> Well, I'm not complaining! New chapter, everyone! Enjoy some light worries and fluff.
> 
> I cannot take Sans seriously anymore fml. Also, platonic cuddling is a thing, so here! <3

The two of them remain silent for a long moment, the stretch almost uncomfortable for anyone involved or in the room. The light of the living room tints their glasses in such a way that they couldn’t see each others’ eyes, but they know that it’s only each other they’re looking at. Their hands haven’t parted, and they have their eyes level with each other, neutral expressions and calm exteriors hiding the utter _panic_ and fear Libra is currently experiencing.

A myriad of questions flood his mind, one after another thrown at his flighty consciousness while he tries to calm down without breaking his neutral façade. How does Alphys know? What gave it away? How does Alphys know? Just who _is_ she? How come she knows about STARS? How does Alphys know? Is he ready for the others’ questions once she spills to everyone of his identity? _How the hell does Alphys know_?!

Beside him, Sans takes the opportunity to break their impromptu staring contest by coughing into his fist, just loudly enough to startle the both of them without sending him deeper in his internal turmoil. Thankfully, Alphys is the first to react, flinching and blushing brightly in embarrassment. She lets go of the young man’s hand as he calmly puts it on his lap, quite the contrast to the storm raging inside his chest. Now he’s afraid of what she’s going to say, mindful of the fact that Sans doesn’t know what STARS is or what Libra’s involvement in it entails.

“I-I’m sorry about t-that…” Her hands cover her face as she scrubs gently, letting the redness of her cheeks calm down. “T-that c-c-came out of n-nowhere, oh g-gosh.”

“It’s… okay,” he says, expression fading a little. A small smile graces his face, hoping to reassure the other, but still completely sure that he has a lot of explaining to do. He just wants it to be done already, and it might help him become less anxious about his situation if everything’s out in the open now.

“U-um…” She trails off for a bit, adjusting her glasses before putting her hands down a bit, above her stomach as she rubs them together like she’s washing them. She’s awfully nervous around new people, and Libra somehow finds a bit of comfort in that. He still doesn’t speak, though, too nervous to trust his voice, and he assumes Sans is giving her time to collect her thoughts. He doesn’t dare tear his eyes away from her, thinking that he might dig himself deeper if he does anything worth noting. The yellow lizard Monster clears her throat and does a bit of an awkward smile, followed by an equally awkward chuckle.

“S-sorry,” she says. The pace of her words is a tad faster than normal. “I probably c-confused you for s-someone else… I w-was so excited w-when Undyne told me y-your name was a star s-sign so I-I assumed you’re f-from… I-I mean y-you probably d-don’t know what they a-are so…! B-but maybe you do a-and… B-but they’re s-super secret! They w-wouldn’t reveal t-themselves to a-anyone, even to those who w-worked there, so… that’s… w-why…”

She trails off mid-sentence and gives a shaky smile, shaking her head a bit. “You know what? L-let’s forget about a-all that! I-it’s nice to meet you, L-Libra! I-I’m sorry I g-got you mixed up w-with something y-you probably don’t k-know.”

“Um… okay.” He’ll take it. Whatever conclusion she’s arrived to, which is apparently getting him mixed up with the _real STARS_ , he’s going to go with it. Better than him lying with his own mouth, he guesses. If it’s their honest mistake, he wouldn’t correct them, so it’s a win-win situation for both of them.

He almost lets out a sigh of relief, but then he remembers that it might be a dead giveaway, so instead he smiles wider, shaking his head with an exhale of breath.

“It’s very nice to meet you too, Alphys,” he says. “I hope this doesn’t make things awkward between us.”

“N-no, of course i-it won’t,” she says, finally letting the motions of her hands stop. “F-Frisk said you w-were having a b-bit of trouble with l-loud noises, so I j-just came over t-to see if you were d-doing well.”

“Oh,” he mutters, blinking in surprise. He blushes a bit, feeling timidity returning and more than a little happy from their concern. “Thank you, that’s really nice of you.”

“I-if there’s anything I c-can do, let me k-know, okay?” Libra gives her a slight nod in response, thankful for his calming turmoil.

“I will,” he says, “although I hope it won’t happen again tonight. Sans has been a lot of help already, and I wouldn’t want to trouble you, too.”

“I-it’s no trouble, I a-assure you.” She claps her hands together in a silent motion before fishing something out of her short’s pocket. She pulls out a cell phone, a rather modern-looking design that he isn’t entirely familiar with. Well, he wouldn’t know, anyway, but it looks extremely new edge, and he’s both curious and impressed.

“H-here,” she says, offering him the device. “If y-you need me a-any time, let m-me know. Let’s exchange p-phone numbers so we can c-contact each other m-more often!”

He takes the phone and examines it for a bit, curiously but carefully fiddling with the touch screen and tapping on some of the icons before backing it out. It’s fast, lightweight, and definitely brand new. He smiles and hands it back to Alphys, who seems confused about this action.

“I don’t have a phone,” he says. “It’s just something I’ve never had before. Yours looks extremely new, though, so I don’t want to accidentally break it. I get clumsy when I’m curious.”

“Y-you don’t have a p-phone?” she asks, and he nods again to confirm it. Something in her expression shifts, and he wouldn’t have noticed if he was looking away. It looks analytic, calculating, and dare he say it, somewhat unnerving. What did he say to get her to look like that?

“O-okay,” she says, nodding to herself and sliding the phone back in her pocket. “I h-have to get b-back to everyone, tell t-them you’re f-fine.”

“Thank you again for taking time to see me,” he says. The lizard Monster gives him a short nod, then steers her gaze towards Sans, who has been quiet this whole time, and then back to him.

“I’ll s-see you two s-soon,” she says. With that and a wave of her hand, she turns tail and leaves the room, and the young man watches silently as she turns to a corner and disappears from their sight.

“I’m flattered,” Sans finally says, and the Zodiac turns with a raised eyebrow, only curiosity in his expression. The skeleton chuckles, slight delight in his tone as he adds, “Means a lot to hear that I’m helpin’.”

“It means a lot to me that you decided to help, make things easier for me,” he says, smile sincere as he leans back on the sofa. “You’re a nice person, Sans, I hope you know that.”

This time, it’s his turn to blink in surprise, the lights in his eyes wider and brighter as he opens his sockets again. A light shade of blue spreads across his cheekbones, and he coughs into his fist again before rubbing the back of his neck in sheepishly.

“Heh. Thanks pal,” he mutters, a small grin affixed on his face. Now, Libra is sure that he’s seen him blush on one occasion, but this is the first time he’s seen it so close. It’s so magical, in both literal and metaphorical sense that he just couldn’t help but stare.

Curiosity and fascination draws him in, more so the latter as he’s already concluded that it must be his magic making it that color. It’s such a fascinating color, and it makes Sans’ face stand out even more, accentuating his features, and he admits that he does look cuter blushing and grinning all silly-like after receiving a compliment.

Libra must have been staring for a long time, because Sans’ blush suddenly spreads more, intensifying as he looks away with a timid grin, eyes wide and bright nonetheless. His smile twitches upwards, he looks even cuter now. That isn’t fair. How is he so good at being charming and cute, and handsome at the same time?

…Wait–

“I-is there somethin’ on my face, buddy?” the skeleton asks, now scratching his cheek with a phalange. The Zodiac blinks for a couple of times, and then he begins to blush, faint shade of pink dusting his face as he shakes his head vigorously.

“N-no!” he says. “Um, I’m sorry… It’s nothing. S-sorry for staring… I was just…” He begins to trail off, light brown eyes looking away as he adjusts his glasses in a casual fashion. The skeleton beside him raises a brow bone in response, but before he gets a word out, the young man stands, drawing faint surprise from him.

“I’m going to go change into my sleepwear now,” he says, grabbing the straps of his backpack. He glances once more at Sans and smiles, adding, “I’d rather be sitting with you all for dinner in comfortable clothing than in pants.”

“Sure, pal,” he replies, casual grin easing back in. His blush is also fading, but it’s still there, if a bit faint. He tries to look away from it. “I’ll be here chillin’ in case ya need help or somethin’.”

“Okay,” the young man says. “I won’t take long.”

And with that, he leaves the skeleton in the living room, following the faint murmurs of distracted chatter in the kitchen as he hears someone setting down plates. It’s probably almost dinner. Libra hurries to bathroom, a small square room just beside the doorway that leads to the kitchen. He enters that room and locks it, placing the backpack on top of the lidded toilet. Removing his glasses for a bit, he puts it on top of his things and washes his face to settle down a bit. He looks like a mess, compared to how he prepared when coming here. It must have been during his near attack earlier. No matter, it doesn’t look too obvious. On to business, then, he thinks.

The first thing he does is remove his Sign Gear. With Alphys knowing about STARS and, potentially, the Zodiacs, he doesn’t need any more signs (literally) that he’s involved with them. So he stashes them in the small compartment in his backpack, taking care to even zip them inside two smaller pockets within it to make sure no one finds it. If anything he’s read about sleepovers on the Internet is true, then there would be a lot of invaded privacy tonight.

He proceeds to change, slipping out of his brown jacket and light green shirt. While he doesn’t have the best eyesight, he could still see himself in the mirror. It’s only a few inches in front of him, after all. The sight of his lean body littered with little cuts and scars from the recent scuffles with the multiverse essence reminds him bitterly of why this is probably a wasted effort. Even more scars, a giant one that runs along the entire side of his back should be visible if someone is to walk in on him. Thank goodness for his habit of locking doors.

Folding his clothes neatly, he fishes out a fresh, blue-colored shirt with a yellow star in the middle. It’s one of his favorites, because it’s something Capricorn has given him recently. She says it’s from a cartoon about otherworldly creatures and humans getting along, so it kind of fits his situation here. Except this time, he doesn’t know which is which. The Zodiac dons that on and changes out of his pants, putting on a nice pair of loose black track pants before folding his other pants and putting it away with the rest of garments he’d shed.

Putting his glasses back on, he does a quick survey of himself. Then he remembers his jacket, a sense of security he doesn’t really want gone, so he ties it around his waist. Satisfied, he zips up his backpack and heads out of bathroom, only to run into Undyne. Her hand is reaching towards the doorknob, and her good eye is trained on him with a giant grin on her face.

“Hey, punk!” she says. “Glad to hear that you’re doin’ great! That and you brought the ones I picked out! Sweet!” Her hair is down, which is a sight to see. It reaches all the way to her lower back, wavy and gentle like the ocean wave, but rich red instead of sea green. She’s wearing a pair of small black shorts, and a red shirt with the words, _ONE PUNCH!_ written in the same font as that of Alphys’. Huh, matching shirts. How cute.

“Technically, I suggested these,” he clarifies, smiling still. “These are very comfy clothes, especially up here, where you can feel the cold outside even when you’re in a house like this.”

She nods in understanding, patting his shoulder. “Yep, gotta get warm and cuddly, right?” She nudges him and closes her good eye several times. She must be winking at him, then.

“Right,” he answers instead, giving a small shake of his head. “Well, I’m done using the bathroom. I was just changing, so I’ll head back to the living room.”

“Tell Sans to get his lazy ass off the couch so we can get dinner started.” The fish Monster gives him a nod as he fully opens the door and steps to the side. The young man gives her a small wave before journeying back to the living room, where he could see Sans just lying back on the sofa, head resting on the back and staring up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. He apparently is, because when Libra sets his backpack down beside him, he doesn’t stir. His eyes are closed, too. Has he fallen asleep in that short amount of time?

“Sans,” he calls. The mention of his name brings him back to reality, deep hum rumbling from his ribs as he opens his eyes lazily. His eyes look a bit hazy before they adjust and solidify, dimly focusing on him.

“Hey, buddy…” he drawls, still present in a state of half consciousness. “What’s up? Nice digs, by the way.” He smiles more at the faint surprise the Zodiac gives.

“Thanks,” he says, smiling a bit. “Undyne says it’s time for dinner now. I don’t know what it is, but it’s probably really delicious, so we better head over quickly, okay?”

“Yeah, ‘kay…” he mutters. Still, he has yet to move from his spot, causing Libra to tilt his head to the side in concern.

“Sans, are you feeling well?” he asks. He makes a noncommittal sound, but the hand on his stomach moves up to wave him off.

“I’m fine,” he says, but nothing about his tone confirms this. “Just… haven’t slept in… a while.”

“A while?” the young man asks, furrowing his brows in worry. “Sans, are you sure you’re all right? I could tell the others that you aren’t feeling–”

“No!” the skeleton suddenly sits up and exclaims, causing the young to flinch back in surprise. He scrubs his face and groans, sounding in pain. “Sorry, sorry… No, just… I’m fine. The sofa was just really comfy.”

“Right,” Libra deadpans, rolling his eyes, but he still couldn’t shake the worry that grips him when he looks at him again. “If you’re feeling any different, you can tell me. Okay? I mean… you’ve been there for me twice already, it’s the least I could do.”

“I’m tellin’ ya, it’s nothin’,” he insists, moving to stand. “Thanks for worryin’ about me, though.”

“Worrying is all I ever do,” the Zodiac says, giggling. “Come on, you lazybones. Undyne might make us run a lap around the mountain if we’re late for dinner.”

“Okay.”

* * *

 

Dinner is, more or less, something Libra has never been used to. He’s used to canteen meal times or meals in his quarters, mostly alone and isolated from the group except whenever Capricorn decides to join him. A group this large chattering away like it’s normal, making puns at the table and discussing scientific applications of technology inspired by anime, it all seems like a dream to him. He feels so secure here, so happy to just simply chat and spend time with everyone. Lasagna on their plates and cupcakes on the table up for grabs, they continue to eat happily.

About an hour later, Undyne, Papyrus, and Frisk all volunteer to do the dishes while Libra, Sans, and Alphys go the living room to pick out a show to watch. The young man is interested to find out more about Alphys after that incident earlier.

“What kinds of magical science have you been studying, Alphys?” he asks, eyes bright with interest and curiosity. “You’re the one who made your phone too, right?”

“Y-yeah,” she answers, nodding towards his direction. They’re sitting on the part of the carpet where a fluffy blanket has been laid out, just in front of the sofa. Libra is sitting cross-legged with his shoes off, leaning against the sofa as he filters through the many DVDs of anime and Disney movies. A lot of them look fairly interesting, and he honestly wants to watch them all.

“Right n-now, we’re focusing on j-just making a more stable energy s-source for the Ebott r-region,” she says, not looking his way now. “T-the energy from the core takes a lot of t-time to process from the Underground to t-the Surface. We think we’ve f-found a solution, b-but it’s too early to d-decide.”

“Huh,” he says. She must be talking about the same energy source Professor Meizer mentioned a while ago. He doesn’t say anything else, attention more focused on searching for a good show or movie to watch. As he picks through each film, reading the summary and putting it in groups for easier access (the ones he wants to watch the most are right next to him), he feels something crawling on his shoulder. Well, not so much crawling as more tiptoeing, really.

He looks over to see Sans’ phalanges on his shoulder and slowly tiptoeing towards his face as he lies on the sofa, one hand behind his head and one leg swinging idly. He doesn’t bother looking for a show, claiming that he would be fine with watching anything. He’s admitted to having watched most of what’s inside anyway, so the young man doesn’t question him. Still, what he’s doing is a bit distracting, to say the least.

“W-what is it, Sans?” he asks, still not looking at him. He’s trying not to think about the feeling, but he’s not doing much and pretty much any physical contact can make him blush if it’s long enough. And Sans is definitely taking his sweet time moving one finger and another, starting to reach his neck.

“Nothin’ much,” the skeleton replies. “Found a movie yet?” His hand settles on his shoulder, squeezing gently, and Libra relaxes a bit at that. That’s a comforting gesture he could get used to.

“Well, it’s not exactly a movie,” he says. He looks over the case again, smiling a bit before tilting his head up towards Alphys. “Alphys, is it okay for Frisk to watch these kinds of anime?”

“H-huh?” she says. As she looks up and adjusts her glasses, Libra holds up the DVD case, and excitement finds her expression with a wide smile. “Y-yeah, that’s okay! Frisk doesn’t mind a-action anime. T-that one’s their f-favorite, actually! I’m g-glad you picked it!”

“Oh, really?” the young man asks, a bit surprised. With how Frisk seems to dislike any sort of violence whenever Undyne or Papyrus get too riled up, this type of genre should be the bane of their existence. Well, it certainly looks interesting, and the weapons remind him of Sign Gears somehow; compact weapons that can be switched from a bullet-type to another. There’s magic involved, too, which is a great coincidence.

“Then can we watch this?” he asks again, holding the case out for her to reach. “It looks good, and I haven’t watched it yet.”

“Sure!” says Alphys, leaning forward to take the DVD from him. The hand on his shoulder still hasn’t left, and he’s fine with that, leaning his head back to rest on Sans’ supposed stomach. He feels something there, but there isn’t supposed to be anything. He’s all bone, isn’t he? Strange, but he isn’t going to ask. That would feel really rude.

Three hours later, everyone has gathered in the living room, and Sans still hasn’t moved from his royal spot on the sofa. Libra is still next to him, but with Frisk and Papyrus keeping him company on the blanketed floor. They even brought pillows, which is what the young man is holding on to as they watch a movie.

After watching the first season of that anime, Frisk asked to change shows, and he agrees. Alphys gives him the DVDs to watch in his spare time, so he could catch up to it at his leisure. Now they’re on their second Disney movie, and Libra is trying so very hard not to sing along with the catchy music. It’s incredibly difficult, especially when Undyne would sometimes burst into song to unintentionally motivate him. Still, he hums a bit of a tune, enjoying the animated movies as the young Ambassador begins to quietly doze off, leaning on Papyrus’s shoulder.

Sans thankfully switches places with the child, placing a pillow on the sofa before his brother lays them down gently. Undyne and Alphys look on from the loveseat, with the lizard Monster lowering the volume of the television.

“Time for bed,” the fish Monster announces quietly, sleepy grin present on her features. As Papyrus covers Frisk with another blanket, the two girls start arranging pillows in a side for themselves. Sans is throwing pillows haphazardly on the other side, presumably for him and his brother to sleep in. And there he sits in the middle; the lone human who suddenly realizes that he still doesn’t quite belong despite the time he’s spent with them.

He curls in on himself, hugging the pillow closer and closing his eyes. He could sleep like this, just wanting to shrink away, but worry is the last thing he wants to give everyone here. He stays that way for a good moment, listening as the others shuffle around for pillows and blankets until he decides to do so as well.

He places his glasses on the nearest counter, right next to the sofa where Frisk’s head is. The young man reaches for the nearest, unattended blanket and sets his pillow against the sofa, sliding down and lying on his back. He knows it’s none of their doing, but his thoughts keep provoking him, making him believe that he’s unwanted and would have been better off not going. But he’s not going to listen to his thoughts now, more intent on watching the rest of the playing movie. The volume may have been lowered, but the story is still unfolding in front of them.

Papyrus is already asleep, surprisingly enough, as they near the end of the film. All his energy must come from his habit of sleeping early. Sans is sat in the middle of him and his brother, lights in his sockets focused on the movie. He doesn’t bother bringing him out of it, too, also intent on watching the end of the movie.

Despite his best efforts to fight off the sadness plaguing his mind, Libra simply doesn’t have it in him to keep them at bay any longer. He _wants_ to be happy, to be able to feel that happiness without his thoughts bombarding him with words that say otherwise. It confuses him, but in a way, he ends up believing in what they’re saying. He doesn’t really belong no matter how hard he tries, and loneliness is part of who he is. Even at STARS, he doesn’t have people to confide in except for Capricorn, and even she seldom has enough time to spend with him by the end of the day.

It’s as if no one really wants him around, after all.

He shifts and turns to his side, back to Sans and looking straight at the snoozing couple in front of him. He had forgotten that these two are an item, or have they not mentioned it yet? Regardless, looking at them almost makes him feel lonelier. But he’s glad to see them so peaceful, so he tries to live by that example as he closes his eyes, hoping to fall asleep before he could make himself sadder.

He hears a shuffle behind him, and he assumes that Sans must be settling down, too. The blue light of the screen blinks out of existence, replacing the tinted hue with darkness. He relaxes more, taking comfort in the silence and playing over Sans’ reminders. There is nothing to worry about, he assures himself. Everyone was excited to have him around, and they’ve been nothing but good to him in this sleepover. It isn’t exactly how sleepovers on the Internet are described, but he is definitely happy nonetheless. And besides, if no one really wanted him around, then they wouldn’t have invited him over in the first place.

 _Yeah_ , he thinks, _I’ll be fine_. With that in mind, he manages to get himself to fall asleep, unaware of the presence watching his slightly shivering form.

* * *

 

One of the many wonderful things about waking up in a house up in the mountains is hearing the sound of nature as the gentle light of the sun fills the fading darkness of the sky. The rustle of leaves catching the morning breeze, the songs of little early birds flying about, and the steady deep rumbling of something pressed against him…

His dull mind sharpens at the last thought, jolting him awake. Nothing rumbles in nature, except for thunder and some animals, maybe, but none so close to him. Libra could hear it right against his ear, soft and deep with each exhale. Slowly, he flutters his eyes open, and he finds himself staring up at the ceiling. He must have changed positions while sleeping, which is understandable, but it doesn’t explain the noise coming from his side.

He tries to move, but he feels weighed down. Something is pinning him in his spot, and he isn’t sure if he should panic or not. He reminds himself to take deep breaths, working his freshly awoken mind to figure out this little mystery.

He doesn’t have to do much work, though, as he immediately finds out what, or _who_ , it is that’s pinned him when mumbled words filter out of his mouth.

“’s okay…” Sans mumbles, scooting closer, body almost flush against him and tightening his grip around the younger’s waist. “’s okay…”

Libra turns his head to the side, faint warmth spreading through his cheeks at the sight of the skeleton mere inches away from him, mumbling half-formed reassurances and sometimes squeezing a little tighter before loosening his grip again. The physical contact is nice, comforting and warming at the cold drop of temperature from last night, but surprising at most. Thoughts from last night as he was staring at his blush resurface, and he finds himself blushing even further. He doesn’t do anything to get away from Sans, though, but he tears his gaze from him and looks up at the ceiling again.

He shifts his legs a bit, but also finds that doing so takes a bit of effort, too. Is Sans clinging to him, then? The weight on his legs feels more solid, though, heavier than Sans in a sense. So, going by the conclusion he’s been brought to earlier, he turns to his other side, and it doesn’t surprise him to find that the source of the other weight is Undyne. She’s sprawled out on the floor, Alphys clinging to her side just like the skeleton on his. Her mouth is ajar with open mouthed breaths, uncharacteristically quiet for the usually boisterous fish Monster. One of her legs has been flopped over his legs, making it difficult to move around without having to resort to moving any of them.

He looks back again at Sans, who has stopped mumbling and is simply clinging to him with a peaceful look on his face. He stays like that for a moment, just absorbing the quiet moment. He doesn’t get it quite yet, but this is something he could get used to. Relief, acceptance, and all kinds of emotions pass through those light brown eyes when he looks up at the ceiling again.

His fears from last night couldn’t possibly hold a candle to this kind of response. He doesn’t hear the nagging thoughts in his head that would say these moments wouldn’t last. They are quiet, silenced by this all encompassing feeling that is spreading through his body like a wildfire. All he could feel and think of is how stupid he was for thinking that in the first place. He’ll try harder for his sake, to accept all these little moments of happiness as treasures to keep and remember instead of things he fears would hurt him in the end.

The entire situation brings a soft chuckle out of him, glassy eyes still focused on the ceiling that he doesn’t notice the stirring beside him until the skeleton speaks up.

“Mornin’,” he says, still not letting go of the young man. “Sleep well?”

“Very,” he answers with the blush on his face still present. “Um, not to ruin a good morning or anything, but have you been like this all night?”

“Hmm?” the drowsy skeleton hums. He takes a second to think before a yawn escapes his mouth. “Yeah, think so. Why, does it bother ya?” The Zodiac takes a moment to regard him, fuzzy, dim lights holding something he isn’t quite sure of, before speaking.

“No,” Libra says.

“Then lemme go back to sleep.” Sans pulls him closer while nuzzling against his shoulder. “You’re soft and warm and I need more sleep.”

“H-hey!” he squeaks, giggling as quietly as he could while the other continues to pin him down, now with his legs. He doesn’t resist for long, just relishing the warmth of the contact and the silliness of their morning.

This is something he can definitely get used to.


	11. Chasing Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Zodiac's happiness comes the turning of gears. With his ignorance begets their arrival. It begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a great send-off for me, don't you think? :D
> 
> I'll be starting college again on Monday, but I want nothing more than to continue writing this. I don't want to sacrifice my future, though, so I might be putting more of my attention into that. U n U Either way, I am so happy that I managed to post this chapter on the last few days of my vacation! Ah, I feel so happy.
> 
> But anyway, I'm so excited for the chapters to follow! It's going to be a major plot point, and I can't believe I've reached this far! OAO Enjoy the read, everyone! ^^ <3

Libra stays in that position for about an hour, he thinks, with Sans clinging to him tightly as he continues to sleep peacefully, the deep rumbling in his chest somewhat soothing the young man’s worries and giving him a sort of solace. He doesn’t make any effort to reciprocate, seeing as even his arms are secured snugly by the skeleton’s bony arm. Undyne has thankfully moved her leg off of him, so he stretches them out a bit before Sans flops his own leg over them again, effectively pinning him to the ground once more.

Still, he doesn’t resist. There’s just something about him that makes him feel completely safe, secure, as if there’s nothing in the world that could hurt him as long as the Monster’s arms are around him. It’s a silly thought, he knows, but for once he just wants to accept something good, even though it might not be entirely real.

He almost falls back asleep, warm and comfortable in his spot, that is, until he hears the soft flick of a dial from within the kitchen. Someone is using the stove, starting breakfast for the group. It must be Papyrus. It isn’t hard to imagine the boisterous skeleton waking up at early dawn to start making food at all, it seems like something he would do on a whim. His positive outlook and energy make him easy to get along with, Libra just wishes that his laughter hadn’t sounded like thunder crashing down on him. The young man hasn’t heard any telltale signs of him still sleeping with the group, and with a glance atop the skeleton’s head, he confirms that the lanky brother is nowhere in the living room.

As if on cue, his bladder starts to grab his attention, a need to go to the bathroom in the early morning he can’t really avoid. It’s a human’s bodily function, after all, so he doesn’t really have a choice in it. Holding it in would just be a bad idea. Carefully and slowly, the Zodiac attempts to disentangle himself from Sans’ grip, scooting off to the other side while the skeleton’s arm is lifted by his hand. He gets about halfway before the hand suspended above him starts flailing slightly, and his loose grip on it causes it to fall back on his waist, where Sans immediately circles around him and pulls him back even closer, breathing against his neck.

“Five more minutes…” he mumbles. While Libra thinks it’s nice to see the adorable side of his usually humorous and relaxed friend, his bladder won’t be able to wait for five more minutes.

“Sans,” he whispers, gently nudging the skeleton with his shoulder. “I have to use the bathroom. Can you please let me go?”

“Why?” he asks, still not budging. The young man pouts and nudges just a bit harder, earning a groan from the other when Libra’s shoulder hits his jaw. His sockets are open now, the edges of his pinpricks fuzzy from sleep.

“Just because,” he says. “I really need to use the bathroom. I won’t mind if we do this again some other time.”

“Heh, some other time, huh?” His sleepy tone is slightly teasing, temporarily halting Libra’s attempts of freeing himself to look at the skeleton with a raised eyebrow. The way he’s looking at him, sockets half-closed with those pinpricks of light hiding something, what it is, the young man doesn’t know, but he finds himself breathing heavier by the second. The skeleton’s fingers brush lightly against the curve of his side, clawing at his shirt and the flesh beneath. It sends a shivering wave throughout his body, and he isn’t sure how to feel about it except to blush furiously at the sudden action. It isn’t helping that the other’s grin stretches more playfully at his reaction, too, egging Sans on for something he still doesn’t get. What on Earth is he doing?

A soft hum leaves the skeleton’s closed mouth before he lets out a chuckle, grin widening before he pulls his arm and leg away from the stunned Zodiac.

“Yeah, okay,” he says, turning to lie on his back. “Go do you weird human bathroom things.”

“It’s not weird,” the young man says, sitting up rather quickly. He puffs up his cheeks, patting them in the hopes of getting his blush under control. Libra still isn’t quite sure as to what happened, or what Sans did, to get that kind of reaction out of him. He’ll have to ask about it later. He stretches his arms and groans delightedly, sighing as he begins to stand up.

“Whatever you say, pal…” He could hear the sleepy laugh in the skeleton’s tone, but he decides to ignore it in favor of going to the bathroom. He takes one last look at the skeleton that has promptly gone back to sleeping sprawled on the floor, and then leaves for the bathroom, grabbing his glasses as he goes.

He hears the sizzling of food hitting hot oil, and the smell of cooking meat wafts around the area, eliciting a soft growl from his stomach. The young man chuckles silently, patting his stomach in a semblance of comfort to assure it that they will eat soon, judging by Papyrus’s happy humming as he nears the kitchen doorway.

He finishes his business in the bathroom quickly, coming out with a towel in his hands as he heads straight to the kitchen. He spots Papyrus wearing an apron too big for him. So big that it actually bunches up a bit on his feet. It must be one of Toriel’s, since the ex-Queen is much bigger compared to anyone in the house at the moment. Still, he doesn’t seem to have any trouble maneuvering with it, successfully multitasking with manning the stove and mixing some ingredients into a bowl with little trouble.

“Good morning, Papyrus,” the young man says. The lanky skeleton makes a noise of surprise as he turns around, grinning when he sees the Zodiac approaching.

“WHY HELLO THERE, FRIEND!” he says. His voice is, again, at the volume where he doesn’t flinch from the loudness, and he’s very appreciative of the fact that Papyrus has taken the time to adjust himself for him.

“Hey,” he says. “Do you need some help with breakfast?”

“THANK YOU, THAT’S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!” Papyrus retracts his hand from the pan so he could focus his efforts on the bowl. “COULD YOU PLEASE HANDLE THE BACON WHILE I FINISH MAKING THE PANCAKE BATTER?”

“Sure, it’s no problem.” Libra does as he is told and takes the other’s place in front of the stove. As he watches the bubbling and crackling of the liquid bathing their upcoming meal, Papyrus uses his energy to stop the reforming silence.

“YOU KNOW, I DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO BE UP SO EARLY,” he says, glancing over the young man as he continues to mix the batter. “I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE UP AT THE SAME TIME AS SANS.”

“I usually wake up early,” the Zodiac says. He shrugs and meets the lanky skeleton’s gaze, smiling a bit. “I do always meet you guys outside whenever you do your runs, right?”

“O-OH, OF COURSE, YES…” He hears Papyrus clearing his nonexistent throat, before he speaks up again. “I JUST THOUGHT THAT, SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN COMFORTABLE IN SANS’ EMBRACE, YOU WOULD RATHER BE WARM AND RELUCTANT.”

“He’s really… comfortable, yeah.” The Zodiac couldn’t help the faint blush appearing on his face. He’s just telling the truth, his friend is incredibly comfortable, and his presence relaxes him. “But you know, I never thought he would be the type to cuddle up to someone like that.”

“SANS IS A VERY PHYSICAL MONSTER,” the lanky skeleton says. “HE MAY BE LAZY, BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HIS ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. HE USED TO CUDDLE UP TO ME WHENEVER HE OR I EXPERIENCE ANY NIGHTMARES. HE SAYS IT’S BETTER TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH YOU THAN TO GO THROUGH IT ALONE, AND IT’S VERY TRUE!”

“Nightmares, I see…” Now that he thinks about it, his thoughts last night aren’t exactly the most comforting, despite his efforts to think on the brighter side of things. That kind of also explains why Sans kept mumbling reassurances to him, he was trying to give him comfort so he doesn’t have another breakdown. That is sweet of him, the young man thinks, smiling more at the thought. He should go thank Sans later.

“Everyone here is so nice,” he mutters, eyes cast on the pan before him. “I wish I could stay…”

“OF COURSE YOU CAN STAY, LIBRA!” He jumps at that, not expecting the other to respond at all. He hasn’t even noticed that he said it out loud. Papyrus’s brows knit in worry at his reaction. “AM I TOO LOUD?”

“N-no, no…” Trailing off, he chuckles a bit. “I just didn’t think I was talking out loud… But you’re right, I can stay… And I’ll do my best to have more fun times with all of you.”

“THAT’S PERFECT!” he says. “WE WILL HAVE MORE FUN TIMES, EVEN IF SANS MAKES MORE OF HIS RIDICULOUS PUNS.”

Libra simply laughs at that, returning to his task. He hates this, how he’s lied to Papyrus after just resolving not to do so to anyone here. Of course, he _can_ stay, but it doesn’t mean that he will. He must return to STARS in less than five months, but he doesn’t know how to tell them that, either. He couldn’t just disappear without a trace anymore, as clearly everyone in the house has grown fond of him already. He has, too, extremely so. He can’t believe how badly he wants to keep this growing bond he has with them. And, really, just thinking about leaving all these wonderful people and going back to the bland, silent square rooms of STARS with no one to talk to but Capricorn makes him feel like he’s losing everything good he’s gotten in his life. In a sense, that’s true, but the choices he has to make would be far too difficult to answer now. All of his choices will have consequences, and he has to be careful, or none of them would be happy in the end.

A gloved hand finds its way to his shoulder, and he looks up from the pan to meet the lanky skeleton’s gaze. He grins, big and warm, and he can’t help but smile back, even just a little. The two brothers definitely have the same ability to make people smile with the use of theirs, that’s for sure. Papyrus tears his sockets away from him, and grabs a nearby plate, offering it to Libra.

“THEY SHOULD BE DONE BY NOW,” he says, referring to their breakfast. “BEST NOT TO LEAVE THEM IN FOR TOO LONG OR THEY MIGHT BURN!”

“Oh, right,” he says. He takes the plate and uses a pair of tongs nearby to place the bacon strips on the plate. Papyrus takes his place with a new pan in hand to make the pancakes, and he instructs Libra to wake the others up. So off he goes to the living room to be the nuisance in everyone’s morning. Well, he supposes it can’t be helped. Papyrus is adamant about starting breakfast with everyone, and he’s sure they’ve been doing this for a while now, even before he came into their lives.

He doesn’t really have to do much, though, seeing as most everyone is already up and about by the time he reaches the living room. Undyne is picking up the pillows and sheets on the floor while Alphys folds them in a stack. She piles them with the pillows Frisk puts on the desk, right next to the loveseat where the lizard Monster is sitting. The only one who still isn’t moving is Sans, who’s currently lying on the couch, resting his skull on one of the couch’s arm.

“Good morning, everyone,” Libra says with a warm smile. “Papyrus told me to get you all for breakfast.”

“Yeah,” the fish Monster says, nodding at his direction. “Just finishing up things here and we’ll be good to go.”

“Do you need any help?” he asks.

“Nah, this isn’t even a workout!” Undyne flexes her arm for emphasis, and Libra only laughs and nods.

With that, he returns to the kitchen to help Papyrus set up the table. He’s still making pancakes by the time Libra gets back, so he gets to work silently, grabbing a stack of plates and silverware to put on the table. It seems relatively peaceful, and he finds himself smiling even more despite the simplicity of the situation. Perhaps it’s exactly for that reason he’s smiling so much. To live a simple life, like a simple human, how he wishes for that life. Sure, he is never going to be completely normal, after what STARS did to him, but he is going to damn well try.

Even if he does, though, he can never be free from their organization. The sad thought actually causes his steps to falter, his balance shifting as he trips over his own foot. His delayed reaction causes the silverware to fly off the stack along with a plate. A silent gasp escapes him, mouth open as he just watches everything unfold with worry. He wouldn’t be quick enough to catch the scattered items, especially since his hands are still full. He closes his eyes and braces himself for the impact, particularly the shattering of the plate. He waits, and waits, but after a few seconds of nothing happening, he dares crack an eye open to see why nothing happened.

To his complete surprise, the floor is bare save for the cracks of the cream-colored tiles untouched or unbroken. Libra stares at the floor dumbfounded before a pat on his back snaps him back to reality. Turning his head, he sees the familiar grin of the shorter brother on him, eyes bright and slightly wide as he winks at him.

“Careful,” he says, “don’t wanna get into trouble now, right? But, uh, I guess ya already have a _lot on your plate_ , so we’ll just leave it at that.”

“Sans?” he says, voice hushed in a whisper of confusion. “What…?”

“Finish settin’ up the plates, bud,” he says, snickering. He pats the Zodiac’s head and takes a seat, so Libra follows him to find even more surprises. The plate and silverware are all set up, and he looks to Sans with wide but curious eyes.

“How did you do that?” he asks. The skeleton gives him an innocent look, but Libra knows better that coincidental timing and miracles often connect.

“Dunno what ya mean, buddy,” he says. A shrug follows his statement as the young man sets the plates down before sitting on a chair next to Sans. The skeleton raises a brow, seemingly easy grin still in place.

“You did something,” he says, no hint of accusation in his tone. There is only wonder, mixed with a subtle praise that Libra couldn’t hide. “How did you do it?”

“Ya kinda give me too much credit ‘ere, bud,” the skeleton mumbles, but the lights in his sockets are brighter now, more alive than sleepy. Just then, Alphys and the others start to pour in from the living room. Libra smiles as he waves the lizard Monster over.

“Hey Alphys,” he says. “Do you know how Sans did… um…”

“D-did what, Libra?” she asks, an incredulous but slightly curious glance directed at the skeleton in question.

“I don’t know, really…” he sighs, and then looks at the skeleton again. “I didn’t see him do it, but I know he did something amazing.”

“Ah, jeez…” Sans scratches his cheekbone with a phalange, hint of blue coloring his cheeks. A rare smirk graces the Zodiac’s face at the sight, cooing playfully as he bumps the skeleton’s shoulder with his own.

“I knew it,” he says, snickering while Sans lets out a chuckle of his own. “You did do something! You have to tell me what it is. The forks never even hit the floor!”

“Whoa, easy there, pal.” The skeleton chuckles more, hand finding its way to Libra’s shoulder so he would stop nudging him. “A’ight, fine. Ya got me, I did somethin’. It’s not anythin’ cool or amazin’ or whatever you wanna call it, though.”

“I’m sure Papyrus and I would disagree with that,” the young man says, smiling genuinely.

“I think i-it’s his m-magic you’re talking a-about, right?” Alphys asks, taking a seat across from Libra. If he has the same ability as Papyrus, his eyes would have also sparkled as he stared at the lizard Monster.

“I… I’ve never seen any of your magic before,” he says, eyes darting between Alphys and Sans. “I mean, I know Monsters _have_ magic, but I don’t really see you guys _using_ it. Could you tell me about it, please?”

His excitement is fresh and probably very new to everyone in the room, but it seems like everyone has already gotten used to it. Libra doesn’t notice it himself, but as the conversation continues during breakfast, everyone seems to love his enthusiastic energy. Papyrus and Undyne are open books to him now, and Alphys is enjoying discussions about magic over breakfast.

Later, the lizard Monster gives him a box, which turns out to be a phone of his very own.

“I-it has all our n-numbers saved already, s-so you can call u-us anytime!” she says.

“Thank you, Alphys!” he exclaims, his smile wide, bright and so very genuine. Alphys couldn’t help but blush, but now everyone’s passing the phone around to change their nicknames. Sans just changes his name to all lowercase, and hands the phone back to the Zodiac.

“Can I come by again next time?” he asks.

“OF COURSE YOU CAN, LIBRA!” Papyrus says, pulling Libra into another hug. They laugh, and so do the others, assuring the young man that he’s always welcome in their little group.

Pretty soon, Toriel and Asgore return home, exhausted but happy to be home. They say their goodbyes to them and Frisk, leaving so they could rest quietly. Libra is simply too happy, he’s practically glowing with a positive aura. He also doesn’t notice the look Sans is giving him when they begin to leave the Dreemurrs’ house.

If only he saw it sooner, their situation would have been so much easier.

* * *

 

In the still darkness of the narrow hall, Scorpio walks silently towards the elevator, the loud footfalls of his shoes filling the almost deafening silence. The brown-haired male presses the elevator’s call button and crosses his arms, bright blue eyes narrowed in thought. A lot of things have been happening around STARS this past month, and he isn’t sure how he should feel about it. If anything, he’s become more observant with the changes happening around him, more specifically, the new rule the Director has recently put up.

He isn’t against advancing and bolstering their strength and powers to increase their chances in destroying multiverse essence, but even he has to draw the line against testing out new _enhancements_ on living subjects. Meizer definitely doesn’t agree with it, and yet the Director still allowed it. Who else would benefit from experimenting with live subjects other than the Professor?

The metal doors of the elevator soon opened, and he steps inside, an unreadable expression on his face as he takes a lasting look at the door leading to the Center before the metal doors shut and the elevator descends.

It doesn’t make sense for him, and it frustrates him. Scorpio has been one of the few the Director trusted with sensitive information, the others being Libra and Meizer, so when even Meizer has no idea why they put up such a rule, he went straight to them and demanded an answer. Sadly, they don’t even show up when he went. One of their secretaries has informed him that they attended a meeting with the board and would be gone for quite some time, much to his disappointment. So now he has even more questions with no one that could give him definite answers.

The Sword of Zodiacs clicks his tongue, rubbing the collar of his black polo shirt. This simply won’t do for him. As someone who has complete confidence in STARS and what it stands for, he absolutely despises being kept in the dark. He has to know everything that’s going on, and right now that isn’t happening. He knows for a fact that he and Meizer don’t have a clue about the recent update in the rules…

But he knows that the two of them aren’t the only ones the Director trusts.

The bell of the elevator chimes, snapping him out of his thoughts as he reaches his intended stop. A smirk finds its way to his face, placing his arms on either side of him and walking out as the doors slide open.

“So, did you find out what you were looking for?”

Turning his head, blue eyes meet green, smirk still in place as he regards the girl in front of him.

“Nope,” he says, shrugging casually. “Our leader’s out of commission for a few days, so no word from them for a while.”

“That’s too bad,” she sighs, crossing her arms across her stomach.

The girl is sitting on a platform as she dangles her legs, looking at Scorpio with a pout. Orange bangs are cut unevenly, right side straight in a bowl cut while and the other is curved to her left, kept in place by an orange clip in the shape of her Zodiac sign. Her hair is tied on either side of her head, curly pigtails bouncing as she tilts her head to the side, brows furrowed in thought.

“Something on your mind there, Freckles?” he asks, snickering as she covers the freckles that span across the bridge of her nose and immediately glares at him. He sure knows how to get her attention.

“Say that again and I’ll punch out your teeth,” she grumbles. “What are you gonna do now, huh? Not like this is a problem for any of us. The Zodiacs aren’t really all about that science-y stuff in the first place. Why do you care about the Director allowing human experimentation?”

“Because, Short Stack…” He trails off, sighing when the girl begins to growl. “ _Aries_ , it’s because I don’t have a damn clue about their plans. The Director tells me everything, and if they never told me about it, something definitely isn’t right.”

“Sounds like you just wanna be a snoopy know-it-all,” she says. Scorpio ignores the woman’s comment and proceeds to walk away, heading towards Meizer’s lab. Aries soon follows, hopping off the platform and patting the frills on her orange skirt. She walks along with him, low heels still clicking against the ground as she walks in step beside him.

“What are we gonna do now?” she asks, all hint of frustration and spite gone from her voice as she fixes the sleeves of her blouse. “You asked me to come with you so you can find out about this whole human experimentation thing, and I get that you’re worried. I am, too. But this isn’t something we’re supposed to involve ourselves in.”

“Aries,” he sighs, blue eyes glancing at her. “You know as well as I do that that’s a damn lie.”

The girl huffs as she crosses her arms, opting to just walk silently. He knows he’s right, but he’s not about to explain it to her when she knows full well that this is something every Zodiac should be concerned about. As the silence fills the path to the lab, Scorpio starts to think. What _can_ they do? Without any sort of information, they can’t go act. He can’t just give up, though, he’s just that stubborn. He has to know that every source of information is empty before he thinks of an alternative.

The door to Meizer’s lab slides open as the pair approaches, the lights of the room blinding compared to the dim glow of the halls. They enter and walk towards the old woman standing in front of an odd machine with her hands behind her back. She doesn’t look away when she acknowledges the two Zodiacs.

“What do you want?” she asks. Her voice still as shrill and scratchy as ever, making Aries cringe slightly while Scorpio frowns.

“You need to stop looking at that thing,” he says. “Stressing yourself out isn’t gonna do anything. It’s only been a month, give her _some_ credit.”

“You speak as if time is on our hands,” Meizer says. “I’ll have you know I have full confidence in Capricorn. That girl is so stubborn she won’t die unless she wants to.”

He chuckles at the accusatory yet familial tone, but doesn’t fail to notice the first statement. There she goes again, speaking in riddles like she knows the future. She’s been like this ever since Capricorn left for the mission she was assigned to. The machine, a simple platform with a big arch, is the Multiverse Locator. It seems more like a doorway than a window to view other universes, like the Director envisioned, but it got the job done and sent the Steeled Maiden to another universe. Wherever it is, he doesn’t envy her one bit. He likes being in a familiar place.

“Look, we just want to know what the Director’s up to,” Scorpio mutters as he steps closer. “You _could_ just pretend that nothing’s happening and let the Director keep secrets from us like it’s not leading to another tragedy…”

“Scorpio, that’s rude,” Aries butts in.

“Or,” he continues, giving the girl a quick stern glance. “You could help us. I just wanna take a look at your files for a bit.”

“I have nothing you want, Scorpio,” she says bitterly. “This is the third time you’ve come here, and I’m giving you the same answer. Did you really think that the Director would suddenly tell me their plans after announcing that pathetic declaration?”

“Third time’s the charm, right?” he asks, and Aries rolls her eyes at him. “And if you really aren’t hiding anything, you wouldn’t mind showing us, right?”

“My privacy is within my right,” Meizer declares. “But if you are so foolishly insistent on suspecting me, go see for yourself.”

She doesn’t move from her spot, and it sort of upsets Scorpio. The old bat doesn’t like saying it, but she’s worried about Capricorn. A bit too much, if anyone asks him, but he’ll let her do what she wants. He walks over to the Professor’s computer, and all the files inside are surprisingly unlocked. Maybe she knew that he’d come here again and just left it out in the open for him?

So he checks those files as Aries chats up the Professor in a more hushed tone. He already knows that they’re talking about Capricorn, or him and his suspicion over this new thing. Email after email, record after embarrassing record, (Sagittarius really needs to stop leaving his door unlocked) he finds no clue linking Meizer and the Director with regards to this rule.

A frustrated sigh escapes him, but before he closes all the tabs, he spots something peculiar. It doesn’t seem out of the ordinary if anyone besides him is looking through it, but he knows that it’s a huge hint, one that he’s been looking for that whole month. He hides his giddiness in the guise of a smirk plastered on his face, closing all the tabs now as he walks back to them in a confident stride.

“Come on, Aries,” he says. “Let’s not waste any more time here.”

“So you didn’t find anything?” she asks. He just shrugs, causing her glare at him before looking over Meizer with a soft smile on her face. “It was nice talking with you again, Professor.”

“Don’t bother me again unless it’s something important,” she says. Her withering gaze falls upon Scorpio, and no matter how much he hides anything, he knows that the old crone can read him like a book. She’s special that way, and that’s why she holds such a high position in STARS.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” she mutters. “Now get out of my lab! I’ve had enough with idiots roaming around my place who can’t tell they’re not welcome!”

“Fine, fine,” he mutters. “Let’s go, Freckles.”

Cue the punch on the arm by a pissed off Aries.

“Hey, ow!” He flinches at the contact, but he’s snickering as the orange-haired girl practically screeches at him.

“I told you not to call me that!”

He simply walks away, leaving the girl to stomp after him as he makes his way to the elevator. She’ll calm down soon enough, but they can’t really talk here, there are eyes everywhere. As they go inside the elevator, he presses the button for the ground floor, and he sees Aries’ eyes narrow at that, but stays silent the whole ride down.

They step out soon, entering a desolate parking lot reserved for the less important workers of STARS. The organization functions as a research facility, too, and they have to keep the higher operations a secret from public eye. At least they give out free tours for kids who want to learn more about astronomy and “space” travel.

“So, what did you find out?” Aries asks. “Must be something important if you don’t wanna get caught on camera, right?” Green eyes trail over the area around them, trying to spot for any suspicious movements. She relaxes a bit, but keeps her guard up as she faces the taller Zodiac.

“I’m flattered you know me so well,” he chuckles, earning a groan from the latter. “You’re right. It’s about Libra.” At this, the female Zodiac blinks, confusion forming in her expression.

“Why bring Libra into this?” she asks slowly. “He wasn’t here when the Director stated that rule, so how could he possibly know anything about it?”

“Where did he say he was going again?” Scorpio asks, ignoring her question.

“He didn’t say anything,” she clarifies. “Meizer was the one who told us, remember? He was going to the Ebott region to get some info about that power flux.”

“He’s been gone a month, Aries,” he says. “And he hasn’t sent a single report about it to Meizer.”

“So?” she huffs. “I send in late reports all the time. Not like it matters, anyway. You know how much Libra wants to see Monsters, Scorpio, he just probably forgot.”

“Well, we don’t know that.” He crosses his arms and turns his head, and Aries finally got to notice his Sign Gear, a blue earring in the shape of his Zodiac sign on his right ear.

“Doesn’t hurt to make sure,” the brown-haired male says. “The Director’s coming back in two weeks, but until then, let’s keep meeting here every couple of days to discuss what we can do from here on out.”

“And what _are_ we gonna do?” Aries asks, raising a brow. He looks at her for a silent moment, eyes carrying a hint of mischief that promises nothing but trouble for the poor girl. He smirks.

“We’re going on a little road trip.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comment anything you wish about the chapter, just no hate, please. :D Was it good? Bad? Why or why not?
> 
> I accept constructive criticism with a grain of salt, but it is highly encouraged! As long as there is a valid reason behind it, of course! Thank you for supporting this story, and series, too!
> 
> Drop by my [Tumblr](http://hellyeahlibra.tumblr.com) if you want to ask more regarding the story or if you wish to request any prompts from me! :D
> 
> Until next time, everyone!


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